The implant that silence tinnitus – New Technology

     Half of the subjects in an experimental group received relief from their tinnitus by means of an implant. Photo: University of Texas
     

An implant that stimulates a nerve in the neck brings hope to people suffering from tinnitus. Next year, the technology can reach the market.

About 100 000 people in Sweden have such severe symptoms of tinnitus that their daily lives are affected. Today there is no cure for the painful phantom sounds.

But U.S. Micro Transponder in Dallas, Texas, have developed a new treatment that may improve the prognosis. It is an implant that sends mild electrical impulses to a nerve in the neck, the vagus nerve. This activates an area of ​​the brain that are important for hearing. Meanwhile, the person listening to an audio sequence of tones close to the tinnitus frequency. Though that particular frequency is avoided. In this way, the brain can be restored and the false sound impulses disappear.

The method was first tested on rats with good results. Last year, a study was done on ten tinnitus sufferers in Belgium treated two and a half hours daily for 20 days. Half of them experienced a great relief for their tinnitus. The five who received no improvement took drugs for spirit problems, which scientists believe may have blocked the effect of the treatment.

Now, made four new studies in the United States with a total of 30 patients to be treated for six weeks. If all goes well, the company believes that the technology could reach the market in the middle of next year, according to the magazine New Scientist.