Taming Tinnitus With Electrical Stimulation
By Singer, Emily; Technology Review,Publication Date: May 24, 2010
Article reports on a new technique for treating tinnitus, the false perception of ringing in the ear. The treatment is in development by a neuroscientist at the University of Texas in collaboration with researchers at Microtransponder, a company developing wireless stimulation technology. The technique targets the vagus nerve, part of the nervous system that connects the stomach, liver, and other organs to the brain. A combination of electrical stimulation and sound is used to stimulate the nerve while all sound frequencies are played except the one corresponding to the patient’s sound, thus rebalancing the auditory cortex. The concept will be tested in patients with tinnitus in clinical trials in Belgium, using simple electrodes which are implanted in the neck and stimulated with an external battery powered coil worn like a cuff on the arm or leg. Patients will undergo treatment for half an hour to an hour each day, for several days or weeks.
Published by: Technology Review, Inc. (Website:http://www.technologyreview.com)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Web Site: http://www.mit.edu )
Link to text: http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/25370/?a=f
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