Effect of Tinted light on Perception of Tinnitus

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  An Open Design Clinical Trial Investigating the Effect of Tinted Light on Perception of Tinnitus to Establish its Efficacy

• IRAS ID

  128314

• Contact name

  Michael Mulheran

• Contact email

  mm22@le.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Leicester

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  N/A, N/A

• Duration of Study in the UK

  1 years, 6 months, 2 days

• Research summary

  Title:
  An Open Design Clinical Trial Investigating the Effect of Tinted Light on Perception of Tinnitus to Establish Efficacy

  Background:
  The previous approved trial (REF 05/Q2501/93) successfully showed filtered light can be used to change tinnitus perception. 41/94 Nearly 45% (41/94) patients reported a positive effect of very specific light tints on their tinnitus.

  There are currently very limited treatment options for Tinnitus which is estimated to seriously affect the quality of life of over 400 000 sufferers in the UK. Tinnitus is a difficult condition to treat with conventional therapies. This non-invasive technique if developed, may provide a drug free, simple, safe and low cost method to treat tinnitus.

  The device used in the trial is a simple calibrated lamp operated by a laptop that uses three banks of Red Green and Blue LEDs to generate well over a million colour tints. The device is commercially known as Read Eye and has been approved for clinical use for in conditions such as visual dyslexia and migraine. It is CE approved for use in aiding patients to select optimal colour tints that are associated with beneficial perceptual changes in their condition.

  Any tinnitus sufferer aged above 18 yrs with no other serious health condition or involvement in other clinical trials may be eligible. The trial will be carried out at audiology clinics within the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

  The study should take place over about 12-18 months and patients will be asked to describe in detail what happens to their tinnitus whilst looking at different light tints they have selected. This would be repeated a number of times and does not require significant effort. A validated tinnitus questionnaire will also be given.

• REC name

  North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/NW/1519

• Date of REC Opinion

  18 Dec 2014

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion