Diagnosing and treating tinnitus linked to head, neck, or jaw problems
Official title: Developing Tools and a Care Path for Somatosensory Tinnitus
Funded at Portland VA Medical Center · NIH-11220705 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 | 5I01RX003924-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11220705 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People—particularly Veterans—whose tinnitus pitch or loudness changes immediately after head, neck, jaw, eye, or forceful muscle movements and who can attend clinic visits are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Those whose tinnitus does not change with somatic movements or whose tinnitus is clearly from inner-ear or central nervous system causes are less likely to benefit from the musculoskeletal-focused treatment.
What this research studies
If your tinnitus changes right after moving your head, neck, jaw, or eyes, researchers are building a simple screening test to identify that form of tinnitus and teaching physical therapists specific exam and treatment steps. They will refine and validate the diagnostic screen, create step-by-step therapy procedures for clinicians, and run a randomized clinical trial comparing the new physical therapy approach to usual audiology care. The work is focused on Veterans but the findings could apply to anyone with movement-modulated tinnitus. Participation would likely include movement and physical exams, therapy sessions, and follow-up hearing and symptom checks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, clinicians could identify people whose tinnitus is driven by musculoskeletal problems and reduce symptoms with targeted physical therapy.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot studies and case series suggest some people can modulate tinnitus with somatic maneuvers and that physical therapy approaches show promise, but large randomized trials are still limited.
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.
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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.
-
Notched Noise Therapy for Tinnitus Relief
This project explores a special sound therapy called Notched Noise Therapy to help Veterans who experience ringing in their ears, also known as tinnitus.
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.