Tinnitus. Cognitive Decline. Dementia
We are frequently asked during consultations about TRT/CBT treatment scientific background, this is why, we would like to provide you with some research findings. In this “white paper”, we will present you with the current research findings ( 2023 and 2024 ) revealing a strong connection between tinnitus presence and Parkinson's disease, dementia, and many other medical problems. Our intention is to make you aware why neuroscience based tinnitus retraining therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are the most effective tinnitus therapies or treatments as they are not just a way to remove or significantly reduce tinnitus noise from the tinnitus sufferer ears, but also the best prevention from many, sometimes severe medical problems, which are known to be connected to tinnitus presence. So, to start with and introduce some basic knowledge about tinnitus that every tinnitus sufferer should be aware of, we should first say that tinnitus is just a manifestation of some sometimes severe disturbance within brain wiring or otherwise neuronal pathways. As we have often said, tinnitus is in your brain and affects brain performance and ability to function correctly. Unfortunately, to most tinnitus sufferers, tinnitus is nothing but noise in the ears, which sometimes creates problems with sleep quality and anxiety. Meanwhile, tinnitus may cause many other symptoms, and in fact, it is known to do just that, yet most tinnitus sufferers cannot connect these symptoms to the tinnitus presence.
We explain to our patients that tinnitus is like a virus in computer software. As the virus would do in the computer, tinnitus can sometimes cause severe damage to the brain by disturbing and damaging the neuronal pathways that connect individual brain cells, making our brain and our mind work. Obviously, much more is happening in our brains, including releasing various chemicals and proteins. However, when the connections between individual nerve cells are damaged or not functioning correctly, we can observe many difficulties in the brain's proper functioning. This can have numerous effects, such as difficulties with focus or memory problems, which tinnitus sufferers often experience.
As our ptients know, we are firm believers in science, especially neuroscience, as, in our opinion, it is one of the most crucial science fields. Neuroscience gives us a chance to work with our brain and change our brain for better performance, which is known to have a very significant effect on our health and even the length of our lives, as was proven by research on telomeres. And telomere is a region of repetitive DNA sequences at the end of a chromosome. In this paper, we will refrain from focusing on our knowledge of neuroscience research in this area, but instead, we will discuss the effects of tinnitus on our brains. Yet, to ensure our message is taken seriously, we will continue to discuss neuroscience. In this paper we will use fundamental research findings reported in Frontiers in Neuroscience on February 7, 2024. Also, in this white paper, we will provide you with the links to this specific research and some references.
So now, we are going to talk about a fundamental research findings reported in Frontiers in Neuroscience on February 7, 2024 white paper called: Tinnitus-associated cognitive and psychological impairments: a comprehensive review meta-analysis it was written by a group of scientists including Dong Yang, Dan Zhang, Xinmiao Zhang, Xin Li
The search and data collection for this meta-analysis were conducted in 2023. This comprehensive meta-analysis included case-control studies and cohort studies that determined the association of tinnitus with the progression and development of cognitive disorders.
In their paper, they wrote that “This comprehensive review meta-analysis study included 17 studies with 62,270 study participants, which provided data for analysis. The estimated pooled analysis outcomes of our study revealed that tinnitus has a strong association with the inducement of dementia, anxiety, altered learning and auditory attention, depression, and sleep disruption in tinnitus patients, especially elderly patients. Tinnitus has been identified as an independent risk factor for both dementia and Parkinson's disease (Chu et al., 2020). Moreover, multiple research studies have consistently concluded that there is a notable increase in the incidence and progression of dementia among individuals with tinnitus (Deal et al., 2017; Golub et al., 2017).”
It is essential to keep building on research that shows similar results. This kind of ongoing research helps validate what we have already learned and highlights how important this field of study is. For instance, the authors of a recent white paper noted, “In a previous meta-analysis review, it was found that tinnitus disrupts cognitive function and significantly increases the risk of short-term memory loss or dementia (Clarke et al., 2020). Another meta-analysis highlighted a strong link between tinnitus and cognitive disability, showing that people with tinnitus often deal with depression, poor sleep, and anxiety (Clarke et al., 2018).' More recently, a study revealed that older adults with tinnitus face a much higher risk of dementia and often have other cognitive issues, including anxiety, depression, and sleep problems” (Malesci et al., 2021).
*We will include references to research papers at the end of this white paper.
Now, we should ask what the meaning and importance of this research are. The conclusion is that tinnitus can potentially increase the risk of cognitive impairments. Moreover, geriatric patients aged above 60 show a higher susceptibility to developing cognitive disabilities compared to their younger counterparts. This is just another confirmation of what we have been saying in our videos: tinnitus should be treated seriously. It is not just a noise in the sufferer's ears; it is something far more critical that can profoundly impact people's lives. It can affect their health, mental and cognitive abilities, future, and even their lifespan.
So, if you have tinnitus, do not wait—seek help now. It is not just about what you are experiencing currently but also about what could happen in the future, even if you manage to habituate your tinnitus. Tinnitus is a process that continually changes your brain, perhaps little by little but significantly, leading to many other problems over time. On this occasion, please be advised that we offer a complete consultation, including a proper tinnitus assessment, during a single visit to our clinic. This service is available to all patients coming to us from anywhere in Canada and the US. This one visit to our clinic can change your future and help remove tinnitus from your life, preventing you from having many of the problems we discussed.
Thank you,
Frontiers of Neuroscience, 07 February 2024
Sec. Perception Science
Volume 18 - 2024 |https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2024.1275560
Tinnitus-associated cognitive and psychological impairments: a comprehensive review meta-analysis
Dong Yang1†Dan Zhang2†Xinmiao Zhang2Xin Li3,4*
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Keywords: tinnitus, cognitive and psychological impairments disorders, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, poor sleep quality, anxiety, learning and auditory attention, attention deficit disorder
Citation: Yang D, Zhang D, Zhang X and Li X (2024) Tinnitus-associated cognitive and psychological impairments: a comprehensive review meta-analysis. Front. Neurosci. 18:1275560. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1275560
Received: 10 August 2023; Accepted: 09 January 2024;
Published: 08 February 2024.