Sensory Device Stimulates Ears and Tongue to Treat Tinnitus in Large Trial

Summary: A new bimodal neuromodulation device that stimulates both the ear and tongue reduces the severity of tinnitus in patients for up to a year.

Source: AAAS

A device that stimulates the ears and tongue substantially reduced the severity of tinnitus symptoms in 326 patients for as long as 1 year, while achieving high patient satisfaction and adherence.

The study – one of the largest clinical trials of a tinnitus treatment to date – indicates the bimodal technique could potentially provide the first effective, clinically viable device for tinnitus, which affects up to 15% of the population.

This irritating auditory disorder manifests when patients perceive phantom noises such as ringing without any external input. Despite its high prevalence and potentially debilitating nature, there are no approved medical devices or drug treatments that can provide relief to patients.

However, recent research in animals has shown that stimulating the auditory nervous system through sounds and electricity improved symptoms.

Based on these promising results, Brendan Conlon and colleagues used a non-invasive stimulating device, which delivers sound to the ears through headphones and stimulates the tongue with low amounts of electricity. In a randomized trial of 326 patients with different types of tinnitus, the authors instructed the patients to use the device for 60 minutes daily for 12 weeks.

This shows a diagram of the device
Image depicting the device components. This material relates to a paper that appeared in the Oct. 7, 2020, issue of Science Translational Medicine, published by AAAS. The paper, by B. Conlon at Neuromod Devices Limited in Dublin, Ireland; and colleagues was titled, “Bimodal neuromodulation combining sound and tongue stimulation reduces tinnitus symptoms in a large randomized clinical study.” Credit: Neuromod Devices Limited

The device reduced tinnitus symptoms, and these improvements persisted throughout a 12-month follow-up period.

The team notes they are currently conducting another large clinical trial to study the effects of changing the stimulation protocol over time.

About this neurotech research news

Source: AAAS
Contact: Press Office – AAAS
Image: The image is credited to B. Conlon et al., Science Translational Medicine (2020).

Original Research: The study will appear in Science Translational Medicine.

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