Creating tools to help diagnose and treat somatosensory tinnitus in veterans
Official title: Developing Tools and a Care Path for Somatosensory Tinnitus
Funded at Portland VA Medical Center · NIH-10938002 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at a type of tinnitus that can be affected by how you move your head, neck, or jaw, and it aims to create a simple test to help identify it and find better treatments for veterans dealing with this issue, so they can feel better in their daily lives.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Portland VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2022 |
| Project end | September 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01RX003924-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10938002 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are veterans experiencing tinnitus that can be modulated by head and neck movements.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose tinnitus is not influenced by somatic movements may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on somatosensory tinnitus, a condition where tinnitus symptoms can be influenced by movements of the head, neck, or jaw. The study aims to develop a diagnostic screening test to accurately identify this type of tinnitus and create evidence-based treatment procedures for physical therapists. Additionally, it will include a randomized clinical trial to compare the new treatment approach with standard audiology care. The goal is to improve the quality of life for veterans suffering from this condition by addressing potential underlying biomechanical issues.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide veterans with effective diagnostic and treatment options for managing somatosensory tinnitus.
How similar studies have gone: While research on somatosensory tinnitus is limited, the approach of integrating physical therapy with audiology care shows promise based on preliminary findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Portland VA Medical Center
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Theodoroff, Sarah — Portland VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Theodoroff, Sarah
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how stress and arousal relate to tinnitus using eye and skin signals
Researchers will test whether easy-to-measure signals like pupil size and skin conductance can reflect how distressing tinnitus feels in adults, especially Veterans.
-
Understanding why age-related hearing loss and tinnitus happen in diverse groups
A study aims to find genetic reasons behind age-related hearing loss and tinnitus in African ancestry and Latino populations.
-
Subjective and Somatic Tinnitus: Finding Objective Brain Signals with a Special fNIRS Scan
This grant tests a brain-imaging approach to identify objective brain signals in people with tinnitus, including those whose phantom sounds change with jaw or head movements.
-
Hormones, gut bacteria, and blood markers linked to tinnitus in women
This study looks at how hormones, gut microbes, and metabolic signals relate to the start and possible remission of tinnitus in women.
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Understanding age-related hearing loss and tinnitus in diverse communities
This project looks for genetic changes linked to age-related hearing loss and ringing in the ears using large whole-genome datasets, focusing especially on people of African and Latino backgrounds.
-
Diagnosing and treating tinnitus linked to head, neck, or jaw problems
This project develops a screening test and a physical-therapy treatment for people—especially Veterans—whose tinnitus changes with head, neck, jaw, or eye movements.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.