PAXX100 audio device improves quality of life of people with tinnitus

Tinnitus Laboratory today announced the results of a clinical study that shows significant improvements from the use of PAXX100, a customized audio device for tinnitus management designed for long-term reduction of tinnitus perception.

Offered only in Canada before 2010, PAXX100 is now available in the United States for patients who are under the care of an audiologist, ORL, or ENT doctor.

Tinnitus - ringing, buzzing or humming in the ears usually caused by hearing damage - is a condition affecting millions of people in the United States and Canada, and is the chief complaint of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

PAXX100 is a non-invasive and discreet customized audio device meant to be used daily by people affected with tinnitus. The customized acoustic enrichment sounds provided by PAXX100 is described by its users as "soft tones" and "easy to listen to". The objective is to break the link between tinnitus and the sympathetic nervous system, so that the users' consciousness and attention is not directed at the perception of tinnitus.

"The goal of PAXX100 is to achieve a long-term improvement in the quality of life of people with tinnitus by targeting the neurological and psychological causes behind it." said Jean-François Roy, president and CEO of Tinnitus Laboratory Inc.

Part of the results of the clinical study were presented at the Canadian Academy of Audiology 2010 Conference by Dr Madhavi Basu. Her research conducted at the Montreal Tinnitus Clinic demonstrates that PAXX100 used for three months lead to significant reduction in the Tinnitus Inventory Questionnaire results. In the study, 41 participants were instructed to use PAXX for one to three hours per day, in sessions of 10 to 30 minutes.

Key findings include:

* 87% of PAXX100's users demonstrated a measurable reduction in their tinnitus disturbance.

* Average improvement in tinnitus disturbance was 40% among worst affected subjects.

"This study brings hope to people with tinnitus," said Pierre Fournier, director of customer care at Tinnitus Laboratory. "The study shows that PAXX100 delivers results for most users in only three months of use, and preliminary data suggested that results are even better when it's used on a longer period."