Abstract
Until relatively recently, it would have been justified to be critical of the standard of research into tinnitus. The sparse published literature was typified by studies with poor experimental design, low participant numbers, and research teams all from the same discipline. This situation has now undergone a transformation, with multidisciplinary research teams utilizing modern neuroscience tools, in well-designed and well-powered studies. Clinical and neuroscientific perspectives are being brought to bear on tinnitus and to place it within modern knowledge frameworks from imaging, auditory neuroscience, pharmacology, psychology, and medicine. This special issue of Trends in Hearing, entitled Innovations in Tinnitus Research, reflects the depth and breadth of the tinnitus field as it currently stands. The inception of the idea for the Special Issue was associated with the Tinnitus Research Initiative conference at the University of Regensburg, Germany in Spring 2018. This conference coincided with the closing conference of TINNET, a consortium of European tinnitus research, sponsored by the European Union. However, the material has not at all been restricted to the proceedings of that meeting. Subjects range from functional neuroimaging to innovative treatment strategies and harmonized tools to identify outcomes, novel insights in transcranial magnetic and in electrical stimulation interventions, as well as suggestions for improved diagnostic criteria and the identification of novel associations with other diseases. The tinnitus research field now demonstrates improved quality and innovative and creative approaches to the clinical problem.
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be Guest Editors of this Special Issue, and by doing so to make a contribution to the ongoing development of knowledge in this area. It is our hope that the field of tinnitus research will go from strength to strength and to make progress toward deeper understanding of mechanisms and impacts. The journey toward curative treatment of tinnitus is a long one, but it is by these steps that we shall make progress.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: David Baguley is supported by the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, but the views herein are his own and do not represent those of the National Institute for Health Research nor the Department of Health and Social Care.