New Therapy Dual stimulus against tinnitus

New device stimulates the brain to neutralize tinnitus sounds

Millions of people hear a ringing, beeping, rustling or rattling in their ears. The grueling tinnitus of a tinnitus can bring those affected to white heat. But now there is new hope for those affected. A team from the University of Michigan recently presented a new phantom therapy. The new approach will allow patients to use a new device to influence their noise. The results of the study were published in the journal "Science Translational Medicine".

The central element of the new tinnitus therapy is a device that activates touch-sensitive nerves with precise timed noises and weak electrical impulses, with the aim of reducing damaged nerve cells to normal activity. After first animal experiments, the device was also tested on 20 people with tinnitus. The human participants reported that after four weeks of daily use of the device, the volume of their noises decreased and their quality of life improved.

New device is intended to neutralize tinnitus sounds by stimulating with sounds and electrical impulses. (Image: Axel Kock / fotolia.com)

The root is in the trunk

"A special region of the brain stem is the root of tinnitus," explains Susan Shore, who led the study's research team. "When the major neurons in this region become hyperactive and synchronize with each other, the phantom signal is transmitted to other centers where perception takes place," Shore continues. If these signals can be stopped, you can also stop tinnitus. "That's what our approach is trying to do," explains the study leader.

Dual stimulant for the treatment of tinnitus

The new therapy stimulates two senses. On the one hand, the device emits a sound in the ears and on the other hand, a precisely timed light electrical impulse is delivered to the cheek or neck. This triggers a process that leads to long-term changes in the rate at which the nerves give impulses. The approach aims to reset the activity of the cells that normally help our brain to receive and process both sounds and sensations.

Results in the human participants

In some study participants, the volume of perceived sounds was about the same as the hum of an electric light bulb, and two participants even said that their tinnitus had completely disappeared. No patient experienced a worsening of the symptoms. Some said their phantom sounds are less harsh or penetrating or easier to ignore. "We are definitely encouraged by these results, but we need to optimize the duration of treatments," says Shore. Now it is important to identify the subgroups of patients who can benefit the most from the new treatment.

Classic treatment of tinnitus

Current approaches to the treatment of tinnitus focus on addressing the psychological burden that causes tinnitus, for example, through cognitive-behavioral therapy. In other approaches, sounds are used to mask the noise or to stimulate special brain response. In more severe cases, some patients also turn to riskier treatments such as deep brain stimulation and vagus nerve stimulation. The approach now being reviewed would provide a new, non-invasive strategy for modulating and correcting abnormal neural pathways. (Fp)