Clinical Study Shows Customized Audio Stimulation Provides Significant Reduction of Tinnitus Disturbance

MONTREAL, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ - Tinnitus Laboratory today announced the results of a clinical study that shows significant improvements from the use of PAXX100, a customized audio device for tinnitus management designed for long-term reduction of tinnitus perception.

Offered only in Canada before 2010, PAXX100 is now available in the United States for patients who are under the care of an audiologist, ORL, or ENT doctor.

Tinnitus - ringing, buzzing or humming in the ears usually caused by hearing damage - is a condition affecting millions of people in the United States and Canada, and is the chief complaint of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

PAXX100 is a non-invasive and discreet customized audio device meant to be used daily by people affected with tinnitus. The customized acoustic enrichment sounds provided by PAXX100 is described by its users as "soft tones" and "easy to listen to". The objective is to break the link between tinnitus and the sympathetic nervous system, so that the users' consciousness and attention is not directed at the perception of tinnitus.

"The goal of PAXX100 is to achieve a long-term improvement in the quality of life of people with tinnitus by targeting the neurological and psychological causes behind it." said Jean-François Roy, president and CEO of Tinnitus Laboratory Inc.

Part of the results of the clinical study were presented at the Canadian Academy of Audiology 2010 Conference by Dr Madhavi Basu. Her research conducted at the Montreal Tinnitus Clinic demonstrates that PAXX100 used for three months lead to significant reduction in the Tinnitus Inventory Questionnaire results. In the study, 41 participants were instructed to use PAXX for one to three hours per day, in sessions of 10 to 30 minutes.

Key findings include:

* 87% of PAXX100's users demonstrated a measurable reduction in their tinnitus disturbance.

* Average improvement in tinnitus disturbance was 40% among worst affected subjects.

"This study brings hope to people with tinnitus," said Pierre Fournier, director of customer care at Tinnitus Laboratory. "The study shows that PAXX100 delivers results for most users in only three months of use, and preliminary data suggested that results are even better when it's used on a longer period."

About PAXX100

Unlike other products, the customized sounds of PAXX are designed to facilitate habituation to tinnitus, not to mask it. By stimulating the frequency region corresponding to the hearing loss, it compensates for the decrease in firing rates in the auditory nerve fibers caused by hearing loss, and thereby prevent the cascade of central changes (release from inhibition) that would normally lead to cortical tonotopic map reorganization.

Use is typically recommended for a six to twelve month period, for one to three hours per day. It is also recommended to use during regular activities such as walking, reading, cooking, or relaxing.

PAXX100 is available to people who pass an eligibility check screening for excluding conditions. It can be ordered for 650$ on www.tinnituslab.com. PAXX100 can be used to complement counseling offered by a psychologist, audiologist or ENT doctor.

About Tinnitus Laboratory

Based in Montreal, Canada, Tinnitus Laboratory was founded to help people with tinnitus. For more information, contact us at [email protected] or visit or website at www.tinnituslab.com.

About the Montreal Tinnitus Clinic

The Montreal Tinnitus Clinic uses methods derived from the most recent research to achieve durable improvement for tinnitus and hyperacousis. Its multidisciplinary team is proud to offer to its patients the latest technology. Visit www.mytinnitus.ca for further information.

SOURCE Tinnitus Laboratory Inc.