A noninvasive device that delivers sound to the ears and electrical stimulation to the tongue improved tinnitus symptoms in a trial reported in Science Translational Medicine. No drugs or devices are approved for tinnitus, which affects 10% to 15% of people.
Bimodal neuromodulation for tinnitus has previously been demonstrated in smaller studies. In the recent trial, researchers randomly divided 326 adults with chronic tinnitus into 3 groups that received different stimulation settings. They instructed participants to use the device for a minimum of 36 hours in 60-minute sessions over 12 weeks.