Irish researchers have developed a device whose purpose is to modify the activity of auditory neurons responsible for tinnitus. This is a promising treatment for this unpleasant auditory sensation. If the first results are promising, it is however necessary to confirm them.
“Tinnitus is ringing, ringing or buzzing in the ears, which does not come from the outside world. Occurring in one or both ears, they can be continuous or intermittent, transient or persistent. Persistent tinnitus can last for months or even years,” can we read in an Inserm publication.
In about 80% of cases , tinnitus is associated with hearing impairment. The 20% could in part be related to undetectable auditory nerve fiber damage. However, doctors and researchers cannot measure tinnitus using an MRI or other type of scan. The only means of evaluation is none other than the use of questionnaires for patients.
Remember that this symptom concerns 1 adult out of 10 and that therapeutic leads are being developed. This is particularly the case for research carried out at Saint-James Hospital in Dublin (Ireland), as explained by the local daily newspaper The Irish Times in an article from October 9, 2020.
Irish researchers conducted a trial on more than 300 volunteers having persistent tinnitus. However, more than three-quarters of these patients (80%) saw lasting relief from their hearing impairment at the end of treatment. This one – called bimodal neuromodulation – is based on listening to sounds in headphones but also on stimulation (simultaneously) of the tongue using an electrode placed in the mouth. This method aims to shift the activity of auditory neurons responsible for tinnitus to other neurons related to sensory activity. The volunteers were the subject of a one-hour session a day for three months.
The managers recalled that their device was already on the market and did not cause any undesirable side effects . However, these results should be confirmed by an independent study. After only, this method could eventually be democratized and used to treat tinnitus effectively.
In 2019, Swiss and American scientists unveiled a latest-generation hearing implant that is also full of promise. It is a question of a flexible electronic interface capable of filling in the weaknesses usual ABI neuroprostheses to treat people with severe hearing loss or tinnitus.
