The AudioNotch Tinnitus Treatment Blog
New Vagal Nerve Therapy for Tinnitus Study Approved
Interesting news on new tinnitus therapy research: a study has been approved in Texas to test the efficacy of vagal nerve therapy (which we’ve written about before) with respect to tinnitus treatment.
The therapeutic approach developed at UT Dallas pairs audible tones with brief pulses of electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve. Preclinical tests demonstrated that this approach “rewires” damaged brain circuitry associated with tinnitus, potentially yielding long-term reversal of symptoms. No device-related adverse events were seen in the initial human safety study conducted in Belgium, and the initial results were encouraging.*
Vagal Nerve Therapy is one of the newer treatment modalities that researchers have experimented with. It involves placing a medical implant that stimulates the vagal nerve and listening to specially designed tones. As we read more about the proposed mechanism behind this therapy, we’ll continue posting updates.
Cheers,