Tinnitus Suppression with Electrical Stimulation at the Basal Contact of Cochlear Implant Electrodes: Significant Improvement in 8 of 10 Patients

[IYIiKe]

Tinnitus Suppression with Electrical Stimulation at the Most Basal Contact of the Cochlear Implant Electrode as a Model for Round Window Stimulation

Cochlear Implant,tinnitus,electrical stimulation

www.advancedotology.org

This topic was briefly discussed during Tinnitus Quest Q&A sessions and other events. Dr. Djalilian mentioned that tests and studies are being conducted on electrical stimulation for tinnitus. One study, in particular, explores how much of a cochlear implant is necessary to achieve the silencing or quieting effect that such implants often provide. This research is significant because traditional cochlear implants are typically contraindicated for anyone except those with severe or complete hearing loss, as the procedure destroys residual hearing. However, if devices can be designed to cause only minor hearing loss, they may become a more feasible option. This also highlights a target population that could play a key role in developing new treatments or therapeutic vectors to manage or eliminate tinnitus.

The study found that using the smallest possible cochlear implant insertion reduced or silenced tinnitus in 8 out of 10 participants.

These findings add momentum to ongoing research on electrical stimulation as a method for tinnitus reduction.

I plan to create Gantt charts in the near future to track semi-related research projects and their respective stages of development.

While noninvasive electrical stimulation implants currently present a high potential, low risk, and high reward opportunity for tinnitus research and commercial applications, the next critical step is to ask why electrical stimulation works. Understanding the underlying mechanisms will be key.

The encouraging aspect of this approach is that there is already a population of cochlear implant users who can silence their tinnitus, eliminating the need for costly animal studies.

I encourage anyone interested to suggest to Tinnitus Quest that studies like this one be funded. Specifically, research should focus on existing cochlear implant patients to investigate what changes in brain circuitry or signaling occur when tinnitus suppression happens.

 

[Nick47]

I encourage anyone interested to suggest to Tinnitus Quest that studies like this one be funded. Specifically, research should focus on existing cochlear implant patients to investigate what changes in brain circuitry or signaling occur when tinnitus suppression happens.

@IYIiKe, is it beneficial to fund preliminary studies, like the one you cited, when three human trials using permanent devices are already underway or about to begin?

Preliminary studies like this date back to the late 1970s. It is only in the past two to three years that scientists have progressed to conducting human trials.

 

[IYIiKe]

@IYIiKe, is it beneficial to fund preliminary studies, like the one you cited, when three human trials using permanent devices are already underway or about to begin?

Preliminary studies like this date back to the late 1970s. It is only in the past two to three years that scientists have progressed to conducting human trials.

I think it would be beneficial if the study focused on the use of EEG or fMRI, rather than just subjective measures of tinnitus reduction. For example, what changes are occurring in the brain during stimulation? While studies have shown that cochlear implants can reduce or even silence tinnitus, the question remains: how and why does this happen?

 

[myliah]

I think it would be beneficial if the study focused on the use of EEG or fMRI, rather than just subjective measures of tinnitus reduction. For example, what changes are occurring in the brain during stimulation? While studies have shown that cochlear implants can reduce or even silence tinnitus, the question remains: how and why does this happen?

The theory suggests that everyone experiences tinnitus to some extent. When you lose a certain frequency, the brain becomes more aware of the tinnitus. By introducing more sound into the brain or stimulating the auditory nerve to increase input, it may be possible to reduce or even eliminate the perception of tinnitus.