In this project, Professor Sarah Verhulst at Ghent University, Germany, aims to uncover the different mechanisms linked to tinnitus and hyperacusis, to help improve diagnosis and develop treatments. Project start date: April 2026 Project end date: January 2027 About the project Tinnitus and hyperacusis (increased sensitivity to everyday sounds) are common and often co-occurring problems that can seriously affect...
No actionable change — this is a newly funded basic-science project; results are not expected until early 2027 at the earliest.
Identifying distinct brain-level mechanisms for hyperacusis versus tinnitus could pave the way for condition-specific diagnostic tools and therapies, which are currently lacking.
- 01RNID-funded project running Apr 2026–Jan 2027 at Ghent University, led by Prof Sarah Verhulst.
- 02Aims to disentangle overlapping versus distinct neural (brain) signatures of hyperacusis and tinnitus.
- 03Improved mechanistic understanding could support development of targeted diagnostic tests.
- 04Both hyperacusis and tinnitus lack evidence-based curative treatments — this research addresses a key knowledge gap.
- 05Short project timeline (nine months) suggests a focused mechanistic or methods study.
Hyperacusis and tinnitus may have distinct underlying brain mechanisms that are currently poorly characterised.
opinionpartially supported