# Developing Tools and a Care Path for Somatosensory Tinnitus

> **NIH VA I01** · PORTLAND VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Somatosensory tinnitus is suspected when perceptual characteristics (e.g., pitch and loudness) change
immediately following head and neck maneuvers, forceful muscle contractions, or eye or jaw movements.
Prevalence estimates vary, with reports as high as 80% of tinnitus patients being able to modulate their tinnitus
by manipulating somatic regions of the head, neck, and jaw (Ralli et al, 2017), suggesting somatosensory
tinnitus to be common, yet research related to this type of tinnitus in Veterans has received minimal attention.
Veterans whose tinnitus is influenced by somatic movements suggests the possibility of an underlying
biomechanical deficit that is being overlooked, which if treated, has the potential to alleviate the tinnitus
symptoms associated with the musculoskeletal problem and help them regain normal functioning.
The proposed research is taking the next step in achieving our long-term goal to develop a framework that can
diagnose, assess, and treat Veterans with somatosensory tinnitus. The plan for this avenue of research is to
build-on the important knowledge gained from the pilot phase of this work and accomplish the following
objectives: (1) create a diagnostic screening test with good sensitivity and specificity to identify ST; (2) develop
evidence-based clinical procedures for physical therapists to assess and treat ST; and (3) perform a
randomized clinical trial comparing the newly developed treatment for ST with audiology-based standard of
care.
The first year of the project will focus on creating two “short forms” (i.e., diagnostic tests) that will be compared
with the clinical exam currently used to diagnose somatosensory tinnitus to develop a test instrument with good
sensitivity and specificity, i.e., good diagnostic accuracy, to identify somatosensory tinnitus. Additionally, work
to be done during Year 1 involves adapting the standardized biomechanical physical evaluation consistent with
the American Physical Therapy Association clinical practice guidelines to include procedures that capture
changes in tinnitus perception and develop an 8-week individualized physiotherapy program that will be used
in the clinical trial portion of this research. In Years 2-4, we will conduct a longitudinal three-parallel arm
randomized clinical trial on 72 subjects to evaluate the relative efficacy of individualized physiotherapy and
audiology-based standard of care, alone, or in combination, for reducing tinnitus loudness and distress.
This avenue of research is taking the necessary steps to provide an evidence-based approach to direct clinical
decision-making for Veterans with tinnitus. Knowledge learned will be disseminated to healthcare providers in
multiple disciplines (e.g., audiology, physical therapy, primary care, etc.) to dispel the belief that “nothing can
be done” and raise awareness regarding how best to assess and treat Veterans with tinnitus, ultimately
enhancing the delivery and effectiveness of patient care. The long-te...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10538961
- **Project number:** 1I01RX003924-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** PORTLAND VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah Theodoroff
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-10-01 → 2026-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10538961

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10538961, Developing Tools and a Care Path for Somatosensory Tinnitus (1I01RX003924-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10538961. Licensed CC0.

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