Celebrating a Decade of Evaluation and Treatment

The University of Maryland Tinnitus & Hyperacusis Center

¹ University of Maryland Tinnitus & Hyperacusis Center, Baltimore
² University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore

sgold{at}smail.umaryland.edu

The University of Maryland Tinnitus & Hyperacusis Center in Baltimore was the first center in the United States dedicated to the evaluation and treatment of tinnitus and hyperacusis patients implementing an habituation-based protocol that has become known internationally as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT). A crucial feature of the model is the postulate that a number of systems in the brain are involved in the emergence of tinnitus. The cochlea and auditory periphery play only a secondary role. To facilitate the goal of habituation of the tinnitus signal, TRT implements both directive counseling to neutralize the negative emotional associations toward the tinnitus, and sound therapy to interfere with the signal. As an outgrowth of the work with tinnitus, the evaluation and treatment of hyperacusis has emerged as an increasingly important part of our program. This report describes the unique facility, staff, and services of the Center as we celebrate a decade of research and clinical management dedicated to the scientific understanding of tinnitus and hyperacusis.

Key Words: tinnitus, hyperacusis, phonophobia, Tinnitus Retraining Therapy, TRT, directive counseling, sound therapy

Submitted on March 23, 2000
Accepted on May 20, 2000

This article has been cited by other articles:

				U. Trulsson, M. Johansson, G. Jansson, A. Wiberg, and L. R.-M. Hallberg Struggling for a New Self: In-Depth Interviews with 21 Patients with Hyperacusis after an Acute Head Trauma J Health Psychol, July 1, 2003; 8(4): 403 - 412. [Abstract] [PDF]