eAudiology

David Zapala, PhD
President, American Academy of Audiology

Patrick A. Lynch, Esq., MBA
CEO, American Tinnitus Association

Jamie Bogle, AuD, PhD
Principal Investigator, ARC Grant
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine Science

James Henry, PhD, ARC 2025 Chairperson

Marc Fagelson, PhD, East Tennessee State University

Sarah Theodoroff, PhD, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research

Program Description: 
This presentation will give a brief overview of somatosensory tinnitus. Topics addressed will include screening and assessment considerations from different clinician viewpoints (e.g., audiologist, physical therapist, primary care physician).

Program Objectives: 

• Name two things suggestive of somatosensory tinnitus
• Differentiate a false positive from a false negative screening result
• Describe the care pathway for a patient with somatosensory tinnitus

Eldré Beukes, PhD, Lamar University, Anglia Ruskin University

Program Description: 

Tinnitus remains a scientific and clinical enigma, partly due to its highly heterogenous nature. This poses various challenges for clinicians and those with tinnitus alike. This presentation outlines assessment approaches to ensure a comprehensive and holistic diagnostic approach to meaningfully profile tinnitus. Emphasis is placed on the exploring comorbidities and effect on relationships using standardized outcome measures. Ways to identify unique management pathways are outlined with the end goal of tailoring interventions to reduce outcome variability.  The focus is on providing evidence-based strategies within an individualize tinnitus management approach to improve long-term outcomes. The presentation is intended for clinicians working within standard practice.

Learning Objectives: 

• Describe ways to classify tinnitus during tinnitus assessments
• Designing holistic management protocols based on evidence-based approaches
• Identify ways to monitor progress and long-term outcomes by incorporating varied assessment measures during tinnitus management

J. Riley DeBacker, AuD, PhD, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research

Program Description: 
This presentation will examine both ototoxic medications that can cause or worsen tinnitus and emerging therapeutic approaches for tinnitus management. Dr. DeBacker will review the mechanisms by which common medications impact tinnitus. Participants will learn to identify high-risk patients, implement monitoring protocols, and develop prevention strategies using current research findings. The session will also cover pharmacological investigations for tinnitus management, including current evidence for various therapeutic interventions and emerging research directions. Participants will leave equipped with evidence-based tools for both preventing drug-induced tinnitus and optimizing pharmacological interventions for existing tinnitus patients.

Learning Objectives: 

• Identify and categorize ototoxic medications by their potential impact on tinnitus
• Explain the process for FDA adverse event reporting and how this relates to advertised “side effects” for medications
• Implement comprehensive monitoring and prevention strategies for drug-induced tinnitus in clinical practice

b

Sound Hypersensitivity Disorders
James Henry, PhD

Pain Hyperacusis vs. Loudness Acusis 
Kelly Jahn, AuD, PhD, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas

Program Description: 
Sound hypersensitivity disorders are characterized by the perception that ordinary sounds are uncomfortably loud, distressing, physically painful, or some combination of all. These symptoms can have detrimental and life-altering psychosocial consequences for children and adults. In this seminar, we will discuss the differences between pain hyperacusis and loudness hyperacusis, common co-morbidities, and strategies for working with patients who suffer from these conditions.

Learning Objectives: 

• Define pain hyperacusis and loudness hyperacusis.
• Describe differences between pain hyperacusis and loudness hyperacusis.
  
• Identify common symptoms that co-occur with sound-induced pain.
  

Overview of Different Types of Sound Tolerance Conditions 
Sarah Theodoroff, PhD, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research 

Program Description: 
This presentation will address the similarities and differences between hyperacusis, misophonia, noise sensitivity and phonophobia. Common co-occurring conditions will also be discussed. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Name sound tolerance conditions
• List three conditions that often co-occur with sound tolerance conditions
• Differentiate phonophobia from migraineur phonophobia

Kelly Reavis, PhD, MPH, National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research

Program Description: 
Tinnitus affects about 5-15% of the adult population. The prevalence of tinnitus is higher in the military Veteran population – possible much higher. Given the high emotional burden of tinnitus, it is imperative to identify the distribution and risk factors for tinnitus. The etiology of tinnitus is still not fully understood, but plausibly important risk factors on the population-level have emerged. In this talk Dr. Reavis will summarize the epidemiologic literature on demographic, environmental, and military risk factors for tinnitus in adults.

Learning Objectives:

• define key epidemiologic terms and classifications relevant to tinnitus to promote consistency in research and clinical communication.
• analyze population-based data to identify patterns, prevalence, and potential risk factors associated with tinnitus across different subgroups, including military Veterans.
• evaluate the role of longitudinal epidemiologic research, such as the NOISE Study, in addressing gaps in knowledge about tinnitus onset, trajectory, and associated exposures.

Grant Searchfield, PhD, University of Auckland

Program Description: 

Behavioural neuroscience principles offer a framework for optimising tinnitus therapy selection by accounting for perceptual and cognitive processes underlying symptom experience. Central to this approach is adaptation level theory, which posits that perception of tinnitus loudness and intrusiveness is determined by the integration of tinnitus-related sensory input, background auditory context, and individual cognitive–emotional states. By modulating these components through sound enrichment, attention reallocation, and emotional reframing clinicians can shift the patient’s adaptation level, reducing the salience of the tinnitus signal. This perspective informs personalised therapy matching, allowing interventions to target the sensory, attentional, and affective domains most relevant to each individual. Incorporating adaptation level concepts into tinnitus management provides a neuropsychological rationale for therapy choice and may enhance treatment outcomes by leveraging natural processes of neural plasticity.

Learning Objectives: 

• Explain adaptation level theory and its relevance to the perception and salience of tinnitus in the context of behavioural neuroscience.
• Describe how sensory, attentional, and emotional factors interact to influence a patient’s adaptation level and tinnitus experience.
• Apply adaptation level principles to select and tailor tinnitus therapies that optimise habituation and neural plasticity for individual patients.

a

Michael Robb, MD, Robb Oto-Neurology Clinic, Phoenix, AZ

Program Description: 

Dr. Robb will present on the topic of tinnitus with the following objectives below. 

Learning Objectives: 

• To recognize patients with tinnitus as a symptom of serious diagnosis that may respond to emergency rescue medical treatment or surgery.
• To recognize patients with tinnitus that may respond to interventions that reduce the relative strength of tinnitus and/or facilitate improved hearing.
• To recognize patients with tinnitus and associated diagnoses that may respond to medications, dietary modifications, counseling, physical therapy, electrical stimulation, other management strategies.

Fatima Husain, PhD, University of Illinois Urbana

Hamid Djalilian, MD, University of California Irvine  

Program Description:

New research has shown that central sensitization / atypical migraine can modulate tinnitus. This presentation will discuss the new understanding of the role of central sensitization and migraine in tinnitus. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Identify the role of migraine in tinnitus
• Learn the typical presentation of the central sensitization subtype of tinnitus
• Identify the factors that contribute to the development of central sensitization

a