Prof. Hubert H. Lim Ph. D., Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA)
Video 15 2018
“Bimodal sensory neuromodulation approaches for the treatment of tinnitus: New possibilities for hearing care professionals”
Two studies will be presented:
1. A new concept of combining acoustic stimulation and electrical activation of the body for the treatment of tinnitus will be presented. The concept is based on animal data that demonstrate significant plasticity in the auditory brain after electrical stimulation of the animal body paired with acoustic stimuli. This brain plasticity appears to be relevant in the treatment of tinnitus.
2. Procedures and results from a clinical study evaluating a new neuromodulation device combining trigeminal nerve/tongue and sound stimulation in 326 tinnitus patients will be presented. Using this new device, patients achieved a clinically and statistically significant improvement in tinnitus. The improvements occurred within six weeks of treatment and persisted for at least six months.
The positive animal and clinical results reveal new possibilities for the treatment of tinnitus using bimodal sensory neuromodulation. This emerging concept can benefit patients through substantial involvement and integration with hearing healthcare professionals, and through development of training and education programmes for learning how to implement neuromodulation techniques for tinnitus sufferers.