The target of our first three years is to fund 2 research programs, one based on academic knowledge, one based on crowd wisdom.
The potentially groundbreaking research into objective measurement of tinnitus is a collaboration between Prof. dr. De Ridder, Prof. dr. Vanneste and Dr. Marco Congedo from the universities of Otago, Texas, Dublin and Grenoble. They recently published in the leading journal “Nature Communications" that they can show with 88% certainty whether someone has ringing in the ears or not, based on an EEG, by means of artificial intelligence using two-dimensional machine learning. To come to a true objective measure of tinnitus, we need to apply more advanced artificial intelligence (A.I.), such as multidimensional (Riemannian) A.I., deep learning (multi-layered) A.I., genetic algorithms E.D.M.
The second area of research funding is for a big data approach tapping into crowd wisdom. It wants to give tinnitus research a new dimension by applying (big) data analysis algorithms and techniques, and by systematically testing the results of this analysis with clinical trials. New steps towards a real solution for tinnitus are set and reliable statistics will be created to audit the effectiveness of existing therapies. Patients are helped to avoid ineffective or bogus therapies, and to look at but potentially more effective ones. By questioning patients on a much larger scale and in a much broader way that in the relatively brief interviews currently practiced, and by testing potentially effective remedies in a clinical environment, the scope of solutions can be enlarged significantly.
We are also looking into (funding of) Virtual Reality (VR) as a possible cure for tinnitus, and a specific cocktail of supplements for treatment of a specific cause of tinnitus.
