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Scientific Evidence: SilentCloud™ App

Here, you can explore valuable information about tinnitus and discover how SilentCloud supports its management. Our resources provide insights into the clinical research that guided the development of SilentCloud and shaped the messages we share with you.

Tinnitus is the perception of buzzing or other noises in one or both ears, or within the head. It is not a disease but rather a symptom that can arise from various causes. Each person experiences tinnitus uniquely; some hear ringing or hissing sounds, while others may perceive more complex noises such as insect sounds, running water, or chimes.1,2

Approximately 10 to 15% of people experience tinnitus during their lifetime. 3,4,5

Among those affected, up to 20% find it bothersome enough to seek clinical help to reduce its impact and improve their quality of life. 1,4,5

Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, noise exposure, stress, and aging.2,3,6 In fact, 9 out of 10 individuals with tinnitus also have some degree of hearing loss.4,7

It is believed that hearing loss prompts the central auditory system to adapt and compensate, which may lead to the perception of tinnitus.1,4,7

For many experiencing tinnitus, hearing aids can provide relief by amplifying meaningful sounds that mask the tinnitus and help divert attention away from it.4,7 If you are affected by tinnitus and hearing loss, consulting your government services audiologist about hearing aid options could be an important step toward improving your well-being.

Although there is currently no cure for tinnitus, many people find that the symptoms and discomfort can be reduced with appropriate management. 4,5 Tinnitus management focuses on making symptoms less intrusive and distressing, helping you regain control over your daily life.

Current clinical guidelines recommend a combination of approaches to manage tinnitus effectively. These include education about tinnitus, sound therapies designed to provide relief, and advanced counseling methods such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)4. By combining these strategies, you can find personalized ways to reduce the impact of tinnitus on your well-being.

If you or someone you know is experiencing tinnitus, exploring these management options with your government services audiologist can be an important step toward improved comfort and quality of life.

SilentCloud is an approved medical app designed to support your self-paced journey in managing tinnitus.8

Available conveniently on your smartphone and offered by Phonak Government Service through VA hospitals and other government service providers, SilentCloud brings clinically recommended therapies right to your fingertips.4,5,9

Built on proven clinical protocols, SilentCloud offers a comprehensive approach including tinnitus and hearing assessments, educational resources about tinnitus, internet-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT), and sound therapy.4,5,10 These tools are designed to empower you with knowledge and strategies that can help ease the burden of tinnitus.

Explore Your Calm Corner, where you’ll find a rich library of soothing sounds and guided relaxation exercises crafted to help you relax and gently tune out the noise of tinnitus.8,11

Your Tinnitus Tutor is here to guide you through understanding what tinnitus is and how best to manage it. Learning about tinnitus has been shown to reduce its impact on daily life.5,12,13

Your Counseling Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is widely recommended for managing tinnitus.4,5

Tailored for digital use, internet-based CBT (iCBT) allows you to work through therapy independently via the app. Research shows that iCBT is clinically equivalent to traditional group CBT in reducing the burden of tinnitus.9,14,15 By addressing and changing unhelpful behaviors and thoughts related to tinnitus, iCBT can help lessen its impact on your life.9 SilentCloud incorporates an iCBT protocol developed alongside CBT experts to support your journey. Daily sessions take just 15–20 minutes and have been shown to reduce tinnitus burden by about 34%.9,14,15

Your Sound Therapy

SilentCloud offers three types of sound therapy delivered through headphones. These personalized listening exercises are designed to train your brain to tune out tinnitus sounds over time.8,16 We recommend using sound therapy consistently for at least six months to experience benefits.10

  1. Basic Sound Therapy
    This approach uses pink noise—a soothing broadband sound resembling a river’s roar—to mask or reduce the perception of tinnitus.17 The masking effect provides distraction and relief from tinnitus sounds and is a standard option in many auditory treatments.17
  2. Tailored Sound Therapy
    Designed specifically for atonal tinnitus, this therapy uses five adjustable noise bands that you can customize to match your unique tinnitus profile.8 This tailored noise aims to reduce how noticeable your tinnitus is or suppress its perception through masking.8
  3. Tailored Tonal Sound Therapy
    For tonal tinnitus, this method employs patterned stimuli made up of pure tones selected at specific intervals above and below your tinnitus pitch frequency.18 The goal is to disrupt or desynchronize abnormal neural activity linked with tinnitus, potentially changing brain patterns over time and reducing its burden.18 Studies show that this neuromodulation approach can reduce distress caused by tonal tinnitus by about 30%.10,18

Have questions?

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please complete the form below. We’re here to help you on your journey toward better well-being.


  

  

    

    

  

  















    
    

    
    
    
    
    
    

      
      



    
    















    
    

    
    
    
    
    
    

      

  
  
  
  




  
  
  
  




  
  
  
  








      



    
    






        
    


    



            
            
            

          


          
          
 

        


      

    

  







    
Footnotes


  1. Baguley, D., McFerran, D., & Hall, D. (2013). Tinnitus. The Lancet, 382(9904), 1600-1607. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60142-7
  2. Shore, S. E., Roberts, L. E., & Langguth, B. (2016). Maladaptive plasticity in tinnitus—triggers, mechanisms and treatment. Nature Reviews Neurology, 12(3), 150-160. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneurol.2016.12
  3. Jarach, C. M., Lugo, A., Scala, M., van den Brandt, P. A., Cederroth, C. R., Odone, A., … & Gallus, S. (2022). Global prevalence and incidence of tinnitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA neurology, 79(9), 888-900. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.2189
  4. Cima, R. F., Mazurek, B., Haider, H., Kikidis, D., Lapira, A., Noreña, A., & Hoare, D. J. (2019). A multidisciplinary European guideline for tinnitus: diagnostics, assessment, and treatment. HNO, 67(1), 10-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00106-019-0633-7
  5. Tunkel, D. E., Bauer, C. A., Sun, G. H., Rosenfeld, R. M., Chandrasekhar, S. S., Cunningham Jr, E. R., … & Whamond, E. J. (2014). Clinical practice guideline: tinnitus. Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, 151(2_suppl), S1-S40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599814545325
  6. Biswas, R., Genitsaridi, E., Trpchevska, N., Lugo, A., Schlee, W., Cederroth, C. R., … & Hall, D. A. (2023). Low evidence for tinnitus risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, 24(1), 81-94. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10162-022-00874-y
  7. Mazurek, B., Böcking, B., Dobel, C., Rose, M., & Brüggemann, P. (2023). Referateband: Tinnitus and Influencing Comorbidities. Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie, 102(Suppl 1), S50. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1950-6149
  8. Haller / Wegener (Aureliym) et al., Operating instructions for the SilentCloud v7 – 2022 
  9. Weise, C., Kleinstäuber, M., & Andersson, G. (2016). Internet-delivered cognitive-behavior therapy for tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial. Psychosomatic Medicine, 78(4), 501-510. https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000310
  10. Theodoroff, S. M., McMillan, G. P., Schmidt, C. J., Dann, S. M., Hauptmann, C., Goodworth, M. C., … & Henry, J. A. (2022). Randomised controlled trial of interventions for bothersome tinnitus: DesyncraTM versus cognitive behavioural therapy. International Journal of Audiology, 61(12), 1035-1044. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2021.2004325
  11. Henry, J. A., Zaugg, T. L., Myers, P. J., & Schechter, M. A. (2008). Using therapeutic sound with progressive audiologic tinnitus management. Trends in Amplification, 12(3), 188-209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1084713808321184
  12. Schoisswohl, S., Basso, L., Simoes, J., Engelke, M., Langguth, B., Mazurek, B., … & Schlee, W. (2024). Single versus Combination Treatment in Tinnitus: An International, Multicentre, Parallel-arm, Superiority, Randomised Controlled Trial. medRxiv, 2024-01. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.01.09.24300978
  13. Henry, J. A., Loovis, C., Montero, M., Kaelin, C., Anselmi, K. A., Coombs, R., … & James, K. E. (2007). Randomized clinical trial: group counseling based on tinnitus retraining therapy. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 44(1). https://doi.org/10.1682/JRRD.2006.02.0018
  14. Jasper, K., Weise, C., Conrad, I., Andersson, G., Hiller, W., & Kleinstäuber, M. (2014). Internet-based guided self-help versus group cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic tinnitus: a randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 83(4), 234-246. https://doi.org/10.1159/000360705
  15. Hesser, H., Gustafsson, T., Lundén, C., Henrikson, O., Fattahi, K., Johnsson, E., … & Andersson, G. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy in the treatment of tinnitus. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80(4), 649. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027021
  16. Tass, P. A., & Popovych, O. V. (2012). Unlearning tinnitus-related cerebral synchrony with acoustic coordinated reset stimulation: theoretical concept and modelling. Biological Cybernetics, 106, 27-36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00422-012-0479-5
  17. Sereda, M., & Hoare, D. J. (2024). Auditory Treatments of Tinnitus. In W. Schlee, B. Langguth, D. De Ridder, S. Vanneste, T. Kleinjung, & A. R. Møller (Eds.), Textbook of Tinnitus (2nd ed., pp. 575–587). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35647-6_46
  18. Tass, P. A., Adamchic, I., Freund, H. J., Von Stackelberg, T., & Hauptmann, C. (2012). Counteracting tinnitus by acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience, 30(2), 137-159. https://doi.org/10.3233/RNN-2012-110218