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+--- Thread: Is there finally a way to measure tinnitus? (/showthread.php?tid=16)
Is there finally a way to measure tinnitus? - newsmaster - October 11, 2025
https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/is-there-finally-a-way-to-measure-tinnitus
Key Findings
- People without tinnitus reacted only to unpleasant sounds, showing a normal stress response.
- People with severe tinnitus or hyperacusis showed heightened stress response where they even treated harmless sounds as threads.
Other Highlights
- Tinnitus currently has no objective test-doctors rely on patient self-reports to gauge severity.
- Harvard-affiliated researchers tested 100 adults, half with tinnitus or hyperacusis, using sound exposure, facial video, and pupil tracking.
- These biometric patterns accurately predicted tinnitus severity reported by participants.
- The approach could lead to the first objective way to measure tinnitus, improving diagnosis and treatment tracking.
- The method is noninvasive and low-cost, using video and eye-tracking instead of expensive medical equipment.
- Researchers plan to build an open-access platform so others can use the tool in clinics and studies.
- Results are preliminary and need validation in more diverse populations.
- Current relief options remain: CBT, sound therapy, mindfulness, stress reduction, and medical evaluation.
RE: Is there finally a way to measure tinnitus? - SnackShaman - November 10, 2025
This is really interesting. People with tinnitus reacting strongly to harmless sounds makes me think our nervous system is basically on overdrive all the time. Could this kind of test finally show how our nervous system is driving the tinnitus and maybe help figure out which treatments calm it down? I wonder if it would work for all types of tinnitus or just some cases.