Tinnitus is a phantom sound with no external source that seems to originate from within a person’s head. The tone and pitch of the noise varies widely. For some it sounds like hissing or chirping crickets — for others, the screech of a dental drill. About 50 million people in the U.S. experience tinnitus at some point in their lives, and 3 million are so severely affected that their ability to function is impaired. There is no cure. It usually affects older adults, with one notable exception. It is the number one service-related disability among soldiers that served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Scientists have made recent strides toward understanding the neurobiology of tinnitus. And some have developed treatments that go a long way toward lessening the suffering of those who have it. A new theory by leading researchers in the field holds that tinnitus is caused by noise trauma and hearing loss, but that it also has an emotional component. They believe that hearing loss compounded by some kind of traumatic event that alters the brain’s limbic system is at the basis of the disorder. Miles has tinnitus, and we used his personal story as a framework for the piece. We interviewed to two of the country’s tinnitus experts – Josef Rauschecker from Georgetown University and Stephen Cheung of UC San Francisco. They put Miles through a series of audio tests and an MRI, and, using his brain images, helped understand the characteristics of a tinnitus brain and the latest research. On the treatment side, we featured a psychologist who does cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation that has helped people – mostly veterans – manage their reaction to the phantom noise. We spoke to Iraq veteran Jarom Vahai who is tortured by tinnitus that is closely linked to PTSD. His gut wrenching, emotional testimony brought the tragedy of tinnitus home to our viewers.
