Hormones, gut bacteria, and blood markers linked to tinnitus in women
Official title: Hormonal and Multi-Omic Factors Associated with Tinnitus Incidence and Remission in Women
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11339920 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how hormones, gut microbes, and metabolic signals relate to the start and possible remission of tinnitus in women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $774,130 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DC023537-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11339920 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women aged 21 and older who are experiencing tinnitus or are at risk for developing it.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without tinnitus or hormonal/metabolic conditions may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
Many women experience tinnitus, and this project explores how female hormones, the gut-brain axis, and blood metabolite patterns might influence whether tinnitus begins or goes away. Researchers will analyze hormonal changes during a woman’s life, gut microbiome data, and plasma metabolites to understand their combined effect on brain networks involved in tinnitus. The study aims to build a framework that could guide future prevention and treatment strategies tailored to women. Participation would involve sampling and data collection over several years to track changes and outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to personalized approaches to prevent or treat tinnitus in women based on hormonal and metabolic profiles.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has linked hormones and gut microbiota to brain function, but this study adds a focused look at tinnitus incidence and remission in women.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Curhan, Sharon — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Curhan, Sharon
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.