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Addenbrooke's scientist wins first ever tinnitus award

David Baguley

A scientist based at Addenbrooke's Hospital has won the first ever Jack and Marie Shapiro Research Award, run by the British Tinnitus Association, for research likely to lead to improved treatment or public awareness of tinnitus. David Baguley, Consultant Clinical Scientist, received the prize on behalf of the team at Addenbrooke's, where he heads up the audiology department.

David's research looked at the effect of the drug lidocaine on tinnitus. It has been known since the 1940s that using lidocaine intravenously inhibits tinnitus in the majority of people, but this is short-term and can include some serious side effects.

David and his team took a group of patients with tinnitus who had had surgery for a rare tumour of the hearing nerve, and in whom this nerve had been cut. Intravenous lidocaine was able to inhibit tinnitus in these patients, therefore showed that it was acting in the brain, as the ear was surgically disconnected. This finding points the way towards drug treatments for the condition, giving great impetus to the search for a compound that will have the same effect upon tinnitus in the brain as lidocaine, but without the side effects.

Speaking about the award, David said: "I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the Cambridge Tinnitus Research Team. It is especially meaningful that it comes from a patient organisation, and we are very grateful for this recognition of our commitment to finding effective solutions for troublesome tinnitus."

19 October 2005

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.