TINNITUSTODAY To Promote Relief, Prevent, and Eventually Cure Tinnitus Vol. 42, No. 2, Summer 2017 Connecting with Nature to Find Relief & Rejuvenation Insights on Rethinking Tinnitus from a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist Knowing When to Refer Tinnitus Patients to a Specialist ATA’s 2017 Research Grant Recipients A publication of the Visit & Learn More About Tinnitus at ATA.org ATA thrives through the dedication of a vast number of people, all of whom make a difference. Join the Jack Vernon Legacy Society Jack Vernon founded ATA in 1971 to lead the way in researching a cure, developing effective treatments, and creating broad-based support and awareness of tinnitus. ATA invites individuals and organizations to join our journey. How can you contribute? Monthly or annual financial Gifts of stock contributions Gifts of real estate Name ATA in your trust or estate Deferred gift annuities Ask ATA to create a Tribute Page in Donations to ATA in lieu of flowers in memory of a loved one memory of a loved one Convert stock and/or real estate into a unitrust We hope you’ll be a part of the legacy of securing silence for those with tinnitus through a variety of treatments, as well as finding a cure for the millions who endure incessant noise and anxiety. For more information about adding ATA as a beneficiary or ways to reduce your taxes through charitable contributions, please contact Torryn Brazell, ATA’s Executive Director, via email at: [email protected] Table of Contents EDITOR Letters to the Editor ...........................................4 John A. Coverstone, AuD Sentient Healthcare, Inc. Technology & Nature at Our Fingertips ..............5 CONSUltiNG Editor AND WRITER Joy Onozuka, MA Hearing Aids Restore Nature’s Joyful Sounds .....6 American Tinnitus Association Better Health with Nature Soundscapes ...........8 COPY Editor Margaret L. Brown Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: MLB Communications A Proven Tool for Managing Tinnitus ............... 10 PUBLISHER 6 Torryn P. Brazell, MS, CAE Three Emerging Trends in American Tinnitus Association Cognitive Behavioral Therapy .......................... 12 EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL James W. Hall III, PhD Creating a Multidimensional University of Hawaii, Manoa Salus University & University of Pretoria Tinnitus Personality Profile ............................. 15 James A. Henry, PhD The Intake Process for People with Tinnitus ..... 16 National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) An Advancement in Replacing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Damaged Hair Cells ........................................ 20 Gail M. Whitelaw, PhD 10 Department of Speech and Hearing Science ATA Funds Innovative Research ...................... 22 The Ohio State University DIGITAL DESIGN & PRODUCTION TEAM The Search for the Elusive Cure for JML Design, LLC Both Lyme & Tinnitus ...................................... 24 ADVERTISING Tinnitus Today is the official publication of the The Possible Hereditary Nature of American Tinnitus Association. It is published Bilateral Tinnitus .............................................. 26 three times per year in April, August, and December and mailed to members and Q and A: Strategies for Living with Tinnitus ....... 28 donors. The digital version is available online at: www.ata.org. To advertise, contact Giving Time, Money and Hope ....................... 30 16 Kathleen Turner, Donor Relations Specialist, at: [email protected] Quiet Understanding, Depth of HEADQUarters Knowledge, and Empathy Can 522 SW. 5th St., Ste. 825 Portland, OR 97204 USA Equal Great Leadership .................................. 31 Editorial OFFICE ATA Support Network Calendar ...................... 32 American Tinnitus Association P.O. Box 5, Portland, OR 97207 Would You Consider Buying a +1-503-248-9985 800-634-8978 PSAP at a Store Near You? .............................. 34 [email protected] The Spectrum of Hearing Loss, www.ata.org 24 The American Tinnitus Association is a non- Tinnitus, and Constant Fatigue ....................... 36 profit corporation, tax-exempt under 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, engaged in Spotlight on Patient Providers ........................ 38 educational, charitable, and scientific activities. Tinnitus Treatment with Repetitive Tinnitus Today magazine is © copyrighted by the American Tinnitus Association. Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation .................. 41 ADVERTISEMENT Publication of any Sound Therapy Poetic Reflection .................... 42 advertisement does not in any way or manner constitute or imply ATA’s Neuromodulation as a Tool for approval or endorsement of any Changing Neural Pathways ............................. 43 advertised product or service. 31 FROM THE EDItoR AND PUBLISHER Reconnecting with the World Tinnitus, hyperacusis and related disorders, joyment of the world. People with tinnitus often such as misophonia, often are unique in that they miss the quality of life they had prior to its on- include a very strong psychoemotional aspect. set. When you have tinnitus that is bothersome, While not completely unique in this respect, you can still throw a ball, take a walk in the most health conditions do not affect us in the forest, and run through the park; but, your ability profound and personal way these conditions do. to enjoy those activities and connect with other The auditory system is connected to the lim- people while doing them may be diminished. bic system, which supports emotions, behavior, In this issue, we focus on connecting with and long-term memory, among others. Some the world around us and finding ways to regain would say this strong relationship between some of the enjoyment that may have been lost. hearing and emotions exists as a protective I hope the strategies, experiences, and research response — the fight or flight response. If we share in this issue will help you to venture John A. Coverstone, AuD Editor, Tinnitus Today ancient man heard rustling in the bushes, for back out into your world and enjoy some of the example, he became afraid it might be a lion experiences you may have left behind. and ran away (and those who didn’t run weren’t around to become our ancestors). It should not be surprising that bothersome tinnitus has the potential to severely disrupt en- Unexpected Tinnitus Relief Often Found in Nature Photo courtesy of John Lack Photography Lack Photo courtesy of John We can thank serendipity and the melodic and a sense of tranquility. flow of a water fountain for the first tinnitus To find studies confirming treatment. It was 1971 when Charles Unice, a that the sound and view of doctor suffering from tinnitus, came to Portland, ocean waves brings a multi- Oregon, to see Jack Vernon and learn about tude of health benefits is his tinnitus research. As he and Jack walked hardly surprising. It makes to lunch, they passed the Lovejoy Fountain. me wonder what it is about Noting that Charles had lagged behind, Jack human nature that we approached him at the fountain. There was a require proof for something look of shock on Charles’ face, as he conveyed that we intuitively know to that his tinnitus had ceased with the sound of be true. Torryn P. Brazell, MS, CAE babbling water. It was an “ah-ha” moment that As we come to the end Executive Director & Chief gave us our first masking device, as well as the of summer, I hope you find Operating Officer formation of a bond between two men who moments of calm and relief Publisher, Tinnitus Today went on to found the ATA. in the magic of nature, be it Such chance encounters — putting us in touch from a water fountain in an with the sounds of nature and nature itself — urban jungle, alongside the ocean, or in the thick Old Bahia Honda Bridge, often bring unexpected surprises. I was raised of the woods. Bahia Honda State Park, Florida Keys, Florida in Montana, and my love for the great outdoors runs deep. But, it’s the warm ocean of the Florida Keys that draws my spirit, providing comfort 2 TINNITUS TODay SUMMER 2017 FROM THE boaRD CHAIR Passing the Torch Every organization needs change in lead- She currently works for the U.S. Army Public ership, if it expects to grow. The bylaws and Health Center / Army Hearing Division in the other operating policies of the American Tinnitus Scientific and Clinical Studies Section at Walter Association recognize this by requiring elections Reed National Military Medical Center. She of new officers and a turnover of directors on a is conducting research on hearing protection regular basis. devices and extended-wear hearing aids, as well When my term ended on June 30, I never as tinnitus evaluation and management for the felt more optimistic and excited about the military and — eventually — others. future of ATA. With her training and clinical experience, A big reason for that is the newly elected LaGuinn understands tinnitus and related hear- Chair of the Board: LaGuinn Sherlock, AuD. ing disorders and has committed her career to LaGuinn has been a clinical and research au- treating patients and researching treatments. Scott C. Mitchell, JD diologist for more than 25 years. She trained at She has served the ATA in leadership roles and Immediate Past Chair the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins Hos- will bring that experience to her work as Chair ATA Board of Directors pital, University of Florida, and spent 19 years of the Board. We are very fortunate to have her at the University of Maryland Medical Center. in this position, so it gives me great pleasure, In the latter part of her time there, she focused with a (quiet) roll of drums, to pass the torch on tinnitus and hyperacusis in collaboration with to … LaGuinn Sherlock! some of the top researchers and clinicians in the field, eventually serving as Clinical Director of Audiology. Thank you, Scott! What a wonderful oppor- that help reduce the impact of tinnitus on tunity this is for me to help the many individuals sleep, concentration, emotional well-being, and who are struggling with the effects of tinnitus. hearing. Over the past 10 years specializing in For the past 46 years, the ATA Board has the evaluation and management of tinnitus and done great work to help people with tinnitus.