Electrical Stimulation of the Ear in Tinnitus Patients: A Pilot Study

[wags]

Original research article published in Frontiers related to electrical simulation therapy - results look promising for at least improving tinnitus:

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2016.00453/full

Specifically:

In both groups an improvement in VAS was observed—in group I—in five ears (83.3%), in group II—in seven ears (58.3%).

Seems like a very well put together study, and is perhaps something to keep an eye on...

 

[GregCA]

Yes this is a promising option. It was featured in one of the ATA's videos this past summer.
One nice thing about it is that it is not invasive: no poking anywhere.
I do wonder if patients with a metal prosthesis in the ear (after a stapedotomy for example) can still make use of this treatment.

 

[Michael Larsen]

Sign me up any time

 

[Coleoptere]

Excellent. I hope it is followed up soon because this is easily brought to the masses. 4 minutes per treatment: I did not read how many treatments are required.

 

[Michael Larsen]

Perhaps we should write to:

Dr. Jurek Olszewski, (http://www.efas.ws/international_contacts.htm)

for a more detailed review of the trail, and ask how many treatments it takes and etc.

 

[Rings-a-Bell]

This sounds like the sort of thing that the TT forum guys who are doing home-made lasers in their ears could handle easily. And last I heard the lasers didn't do much for them so perhaps this could be more fruitful.

 

[HomeoHebbian]

Original research article published in Frontiers related to electrical simulation therapy - results look promising for at least improving tinnitus:

http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnins.2016.00453/full

Specifically:

Seems like a very well put together study, and is perhaps something to keep an eye on...

Looks to me like it is based on very few subjects,there are literally no control group(s) and tinnitus severity was estimated by self-report immediately after the stimulation ended. What made you feel like it was a very well put together study?

 

[attheedgeofscience]

Looks to me like it is based on very few subjects,there are literally no control group(s) and tinnitus severity was estimated by self-report immediately after the stimulation ended. What made you feel like it was a very well put together study?

The work is based on an earlier study (from 2014) which I posted about here:

www.tinnitustalk.com/threads/put-a-spotlight-on-tinnitus-research.17543/#post-210704

The novelty in the newly released work (from this year) and which is part of the Frontiers Research Topic relates to the fact that EEG scans were included.

 

[Mentos]

Since I'm from Poland I am in contact with a clinic that conducts these treatments, as it is non invasive and rather risk-free procedure I try to get enrolled in the treatment. I'm awaiting feedback whether they qualify me for it.

 

[GregCA]

Since I'm from Poland I am in contact with a clinic that conducts these treatments, as it is non invasive and rather risk-free procedure I try to get enrolled in the treatment. I'm awaiting feedback whether they qualify me for it.

Nothing is risk-free, unfortunately. There's a lot we don't know about this procedure, such as mid-to-long term side effects, since it hasn't been performed long enough and on a large enough patient population to have a statistical history.

Everything's a gamble. Good luck with it.

 

[Coleoptere]

Hi @Mentos. That sound like a free trial. Is it?

 

[Mentos]

Hi @Mentos. That sound like a free trial. Is it?

Yes it should be free. They now evaluate my head MRI results and basen on that they will qualify me or not.

 

[Stephen1144]

Conclusions
Our results indicate that peripheral external ear ES changes cortical activity in tinnitus patients. One of the possible mechanisms in which ES influences tinnitus may therefore be a change in the cortical activity present within the left central temporal and frontal regions. However, whether this effect is primary or secondary to auditory system excitation remains to be investigated. Of the various forms of ES presented above, each may play a role in the tinnitus improvement observed in our study.

 

[stophiss]

Go Mentos! Let us know if you get enrolled and you seek improvement.
Best of luck.

 

[exodus]

guys,

does anyone knows where exactly proceed as on the online information doesn t give these details:

i have a tdcs system i could tweak to replicate what they ve done ,i need to know the step by step process.

if anyone have any info on this

thanks in advance

 

[Christian78]

guys,

does anyone knows where exactly proceed as on the online information doesn t give these details:

i have a tdcs system i could tweak to replicate what they ve done ,i need to know the step by step process.

if anyone have any info on this

thanks in advance

procedure is specific, first you have to know frewuency of wavec and then frequency of repetition and then strenght oc curent, and tms that you have probably bet 2 cm undes the skull, far away from reaching deep brain stimulation

I know i asked them in sweden who have simmilar but older device and they said well they need stimulation protocol, as it is very diferent from psikiatric depresion where they work to excite neurones, while if you do it wrong end up exiting neurone you might as well kill yourself immidietly after, as what is left is agony

 

[Mentos]

Go Mentos! Let us know if you get enrolled and you seek improvement.
Best of luck.

It took a while but finally i got enrolled and will start the treatment as of Feb 20th, which will last 2 weeks. The only thing is instead of direct ear electrical stimulation they recommended in my case direct ear magnetic stimulation. So I will trust the doctors and start with magnetic stimulation and then perhaps in case it does nothing to me we will decide whether to try electrical stimulation as well

 

[stophiss]

procedure is specific, first you have to know frewuency of wavec and then frequency of repetition and then strenght oc curent, and tms that you have probably bet 2 cm undes the skull, far away from reaching deep brain stimulation

I know i asked them in sweden who have simmilar but older device and they said well they need stimulation protocol, as it is very diferent from psikiatric depresion where they work to excite neurones, while if you do it wrong end up exiting neurone you might as well kill yourself immidietly after, as what is left is agony

Can you elaborate on those that have had either a positive or negative response from the stimulation?
You say 'they need stimulation protocol'. That's the million dollar question. What protocol is specific to a given patient with tinnitus understanding that different neurons external to the auditory track can be misfiring for different patients with tinnitus. Determining which aberrant neurons has to be beyond daunting. With the dire consequence you suggest, hunting for these neurons randomly sounds to have ominous consequences if tinnitus is actually increased.

Perhaps you could share a bit more.
Thanks

 

[stophiss]

It took a while but finally i got enrolled and will start the treatment as of Feb 20th, which will last 2 weeks. The only thing is instead of direct ear electrical stimulation they recommended in my case direct ear magnetic stimulation. So I will trust the doctors and start with magnetic stimulation and then perhaps in case it does nothing to me we will decide whether to try electrical stimulation as well

Congrats Mentos. Exciting stuff. Would be interesting to learn what is specific to your type of tinnitus that would warrant a given type of electrical versus magnetic field stimulation. No doubt you will learn more as you participate.
We are all hoping for the best outcome for you.
Best of Luck Mentos.

 

[GregCA]

What protocol is specific to a given patient with tinnitus understanding that different neurons external to the auditory track can be misfiring for different patients with tinnitus. Determining which aberrant neurons has to be beyond daunting.

Aren't they using an fMRI to figure out the hyperactive neurons while you are supposed to be hearing silence?

 

[stophiss]

Aren't they using an fMRI to figure out the hyperactive neurons while you are supposed to be hearing silence?

Great question. I presume there must be a first test sound aka stimulus introduced to the ear which precipitates a corollary electrical response which somehow can be detected within the brain to deduce which neurons...generally neurons which are dormant adjacent to the highway of neurons responsible for hearing....which somehow have jumped the track of typical neuron firing responsible for hearing without tinnitus.

Other than a MRI which can monitor brain activity, I know of no other technology than some kind of imaging that can detect how neurons fire when the brain is given a particular stimulus...in this case sound.

Of course using imaging to determine the path of neurons firing, this begs the question, how localized are these aberrant neurons and within this tolerance or range, what sort of electrical or (magnetic) stimulus should be applied and precisely where to achieve the desired result.

To me this is extremely primitive or a very early foray into the addressing the root cause of tinnitus. But a very important first step...to be able to somehow morph neuroplasticity back to how it was pre-tinnitus. If the neuron track to hearing can change with time to create tinnitus i.e. excitation of neurons without an auditory stimulus...say with a perfect storm of stress and related brain chemicals and physiological changes to the brain aka hearing apparatus, then possible to change it back directionally with electrical stimulus albeit, it has to be all in the technique and of course if done incorrectly can have perhaps even dire consequences as Christian suggested.
To me if there is good news in a sea of daunting challenges to solving this, it is that people that are hard of hearing...a subset do not have tinnitus. This means that tinnitus does not have to be companion of some level of damage to the hearing apparatus. But then again, solving tinnitus which may be a form of epilepsy of hearing if you will...how to change the course of neurons firing in the brain has to be beyond challenging. I know it will be solved one day...but perhaps not by changing neuron firing within the brain...but rather intercepting the signal at the auditory cortex and filtering it electronically to remove the frequencies associated with tinnitus because bending the arc of how neurons fire in the brain seems like a hill almost too tall to climb or perhaps not.

 

[Christian78]

Can you elaborate on those that have had either a positive or negative response from the stimulation?
You say 'they need stimulation protocol'. That's the million dollar question. What protocol is specific to a given patient with tinnitus understanding that different neurons external to the auditory track can be misfiring for different patients with tinnitus. Determining which aberrant neurons has to be beyond daunting. With the dire consequence you suggest, hunting for these neurons randomly sounds to have ominous consequences if tinnitus is actually increased.

Perhaps you could share a bit more.
Thanks

To two of guys has incresed, well protocol they call it, it is strenght and it is frequency of impulses and it is place. We have some machine in sweden, and it helps by exciting neurones etc, so you dont end up with faster tinnitus than disrupted... if you know what i mean

 

[stophiss]

To two of guys has incresed, well protocol they call it, it is strenght and it is frequency of impulses and it is place. We have some machine in sweden, and it helps by exciting neurones etc, so you dont end up with faster tinnitus than disrupted... if you know what i mean

Have you used the machine in Sweden Christian you mention? If so, what was your result?
Thanks

 

[Christian78]

Have you used the machine in Sweden Christian you mention? If so, what was your result?
Thanks

in tinnitus hospital in belgium i used it

 

[stophiss]

in tinnitus hospital in belgium i used it

I will repeat. What was the result of you using the machine?
Thanks

 

[Christian78]

I will repeat. What was the result of you using the machine?
Thanks

2 guys had bed results, i did just 2x therapy no results

 

[stophiss]

2 guys had bed results, i did just 2x therapy no results

I understand English isn't your native language. So, 2 guys had bad results...I presume this means, their tinnitus increased. Did you stay in contact with these two test subjects? Was their tinnitus spikes permanent? Was there any explanation given why the machine which is supposed to decrease tinnitus...why it increased it? Did the doctors interpret the wrong protocol, i.e. did they excite the wrong group of neurons?

When you say 2 x's therapy for you. I assume you mean there was no change in your tinnitus in spite of undergoing electrical stimulation.

 

[Designer55]

Since I'm from Poland I am in contact with a clinic that conducts these treatments, as it is non invasive and rather risk-free procedure I try to get enrolled in the treatment. I'm awaiting feedback whether they qualify me for it.

He Mentos. I have been trying to contact mrs Marzena Mielczarek for weeks. As far as i know she gives the treatment. Could you provide her contact details? She does not respond to email and i even have a cell phone which she does not answer. Maybe you have different doctor or clinic? Anyway, contact details would be appreciated. my email is peter@verwey.com

 

[Marlino]

This sounds like the sort of thing that the TT forum guys who are doing home-made lasers in their ears could handle easily. And last I heard the lasers didn't do much for them so perhaps this could be more fruitful.

Yes, LLLT is not working.
But I like the idea of experimenting. Is somebody willing to join a workgroup to build a homemade device?

 

[Marlino]

Yes, LLLT is not working.
But I like the idea of experimenting. Is somebody willing to join a workgroup to build a homemade device?

If two more fellows are in, I create a new thread for that and make a project plan