American Tinnitus Association Announces New Chair of Scientific Advisory Committee

Portland, OR Aug. 26, 2004 The American Tinnitus Association (ATA) recently appointed Richard Salvi, Ph.D., to a two-year term as Chair of its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). The SAC reviews grant applications for the ATA, awarding monies twice a year for tinnitus-related research.

Dr. Salvi is a researcher at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, where he is currently investigating neural activity changes in the brain of rats after tinnitus has been introduced through the use of aspirin (sodium salicylate). The two-year study, funded by ATA, may lead to greater scientific understanding of how certain drugs cause tinnitus, and to better treatments for people who experience drug-induced tinnitus. Dr. Salvi has been a member of ATAs Scientific Advisory Committee for four years.

What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is a medical condition that causes people to hear ringing in the ears or noise in the head when no external source is present. Approximately one of every six Americans, or 50 million people, experience tinnitus. Roughly 12 million of those people seek medical help to manage extreme symptoms, such as depression, loss of sleep and difficulty concentrating. Tinnitus can have a variety of causes, but exposure to loud noise is the most commonly reported trigger event. For many, the condition can be relieved by a variety of approaches. However, tinnitus currently has no medical cure.

About the American Tinnitus Association

The American Tinnitus Association is a national nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to advancing tinnitus research, and to helping tinnitus patients and the professionals who treat them. The ATA is headquartered in Portland, Ore. Its web site is located at www.ata.org.