Olivia Liu – Department of Neuroscience
Nails on a chalkboard. Buzzing, frayed wire. The ringing of a distorted siren.
Tinnitus patients, approximately 10% of our population, live with unbearable noises like these. Due to a hyperactive auditory pathway, most perceived sounds are aggravatingly “high-pitched.” And despite having many therapeutic options available, researchers don’t fully understand tinnitus enough to make a more targeted treatment model. The ambiguity surrounding tinnitus is why the recent rise of “Bimodal Neuromodulation” has piqued the interest of many patients and audiologists. This theory comes from the observation that shifting positions and different body movements can help dampen the volume and pitch of tinnitus. Intrigued by this, Dr. Susan Shores worked with guinea pigs plagued by tinnitus and found that their dorsal cochlear nuclei fired more frequently, which made the subject perceive non-existent, high-pitched sounds. Using this information, she and Dr. Ross O’Neill hypothesized that we could incorporate additional stimuli to distract patients from the tinnitus sounds. Thus, the Lenire device was born: by applying minimal shock to the tongue, the brain area that controls attention gets triggered. This helps divert the patient’s attention from the excess auditory signals.
Lenire has gained FDA approval, and many audiologists, neuroscientists, and patients have reported merit to both the research conclusion and respective symptom relief. Other experts have even expressed that this logic may have its place in chronic pain and PTSD treatment. The glaring hole in Lenire and Bimodal Neuromodulation’s logic should not be ignored, though. No control group was used during this project, which means that the placebo effect could explain the benefits we see. A more dependable research model is key to solidifying the scientific validity of this theory. Regardless, the devices created from Bimodal Neuromodulation offer an explanation for tinnitus’s pathogenesis that we didn’t have before.
References:
Marks KL, Martel DT, Wu C, et al. Auditory-somatosensory bimodal stimulation desynchronizes brain circuitry to reduce tinnitus in guinea pigs and humans. Sci Transl Med. 2018;10(422):eaal3175. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aal3175
Morris, A., & Steckelberg, A. (n.d.). New tinnitus treatment, bimodal neuromodulation, targets the brain ... Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/interactive/2024/tinnitus-treatment-lenire-bimodal-neuromodulation-duo/
Edited By: Firas Batrash, Editor-in-Chief
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