# White Noise Exemplifies the Constrained Disorder Principle-Based Concept of Overcoming Malfunctions
## 1 Introduction
### Using White Noise to Treat Timnitus
Since white noise (WN) covers a broad range of frequencies, it can be particularly effective for treating various types of tinnitus because it can effectively mask different sounds at multiple frequencies. Using a tinnitus masker that continuously generates specific sound frequencies--often white noise--may be a successful treatment option for alleviating tinnitus symptoms. The intensity required to mask the tinnitus is typically lower when the masking noise is close to the frequency of the tinnitus itself. Patients with low-frequency tinnitus require higher intensity levels when using high-frequency narrowband noise and white noise, compared to those with high-frequency tinnitus. WN may facilitate the release of cognitive resources and reduce auditory effort under these conditions [132; 138; 139; 140]. Other sound-based treatments, such as modulated sounds (low-rate amplitude tones within the tinnitus pitch range), pink noise (resembling natural sounds), speech noise, and high tones, have been shown to reduce patients' complaints and even provide temporary tinnitus suppression [140; 141; 142]. Sound therapy is currently included as an optional treatment for managing tinnitus symptoms in clinical practice guidelines by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery [133]. These therapies are offered through devices worn in or behind the ear, often combined with hearing aids to enhance the patient's hearing. They are also accessible via smartphone applications, gaming consoles, headphones, and audio devices [143]. Despite the lack of large randomized controlled trials confirming the efficacy of sound therapy for eliminating or significantly alleviating bothersome tinnitus, the existing literature highlights the rationale and variable success rates of different approaches. While sound therapy is generally considered safe with no reported side effects, it can be costly and requires prolonged use, often involving several hours of daily listening for months. Recent studies suggest that unstructured or random acoustic input can induce maladaptive neuroplastic changes in the central auditory system, even at levels below those considered harmful. Over time, this may undermine its structural and functional integrity, potentially worsening tinnitus [129]. Sensory input plays a crucial role in shaping neuronal organization and the development of sensory maps in the brain. Research has illuminated the mechanisms that regulate the plasticity of the auditory pathway, particularly by examining the effects of altered auditory input during critical developmental periods. During these times, plasticity optimizes neural circuits to better align with the external environment. Furthermore, studies conducted in adulthood indicate that hearing loss is often linked to the emergence of tinnitus [144, 145]. The molecular, cellular, and circuit-level mechanisms that regulate neuronal organization and tonotopic map plasticity during both developmental critical periods and adulthood have been described. These mechanisms play a role in modulating disinhibitory networks, as well as in influencing synaptic structure and function, along with the structural barriers to plasticity [146]. The regulation of plasticity also involves neuromodulatory circuits that link plasticity to learning and attention. Both ascending and descending auditory circuits connect the auditory cortex to lower brain structures [147].