ENTtoday
  • Home
  • COVID-19
  • Practice Focus
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Departments
    • Issue Archive
    • TRIO Best Practices
      • Allergy
      • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
      • Head and Neck
      • Laryngology
      • Otology/Neurotology
      • Pediatric
      • Rhinology
      • Sleep Medicine
    • Career Development
    • Case of the Month
    • Everyday Ethics
    • Health Policy
    • Legal Matters
    • Letter From the Editor
    • Medical Education
    • Online Exclusives
    • Practice Management
    • Resident Focus
    • Rx: Wellness
    • Special Reports
    • Tech Talk
    • Viewpoint
    • What’s Your O.R. Playlist?
  • Literature Reviews
    • Allergy
    • Facial Plastic/Reconstructive
    • Head and Neck
    • Laryngology
    • Otology/Neurotology
    • Pediatric
    • Rhinology
    • Sleep Medicine
  • Events
    • Featured Events
    • TRIO Meetings
  • Contact Us
    • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • Triological Society
    • Advertising Staff
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
    • Place an Ad
    • Classifieds
    • Rate Card
  • Search

Electrical Stimulation to Treat Tinnitus

by Sue Pondrom • May 1, 2006

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version

Early data on stimulation of Heschl’s gyrus are promising, but more research is needed

You Might Also Like

  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation May Treat Tinnitus
  • Congress Mandates Better Reporting of Tinnitus Among United States Military
  • Electrical Stimulation in the Nose Induces Sense of Smell
  • The Mechanisms of Tinnitus: Research Progress and Treatment Implications
Explore This Issue
May 2006

Direct electrical stimulation of the auditory cortex to relieve symptoms of severe tinnitus has been successfully demonstrated in two patients by Michael Seidman, MD, Director, of Otologic/Neurotologic Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Henry Ford Health System in West Bloomfield, Mich.

Currently there is no cure for tinnitus, which affects nearly 50 million Americans. Of these, about 3% to 4% are severely debilitated, with none of the conventional and alternative types of therapy able to relieve the aberrant noise and sounds characteristic of the condition.

For those patients who have failed conventional management, Dr. Seidman believes that electrical stimulation of the auditory cortex could potentially be an option to treat intractable tinnitus.

In his procedure, two patients, a 50-year-old male and a 40-year-old female with debilitating tinnitus refractory to conventional therapies, were evaluated with validated questionnaires, psychoacoustic measures, magnetoencephalography (MEG), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The male’s hyperexcitable area of Heschl’s gyrus was implanted with a pisces quadripolar electrode; the female was implanted with a four contact electrode. Following the procedures, the male experienced near elimination of tinnitus while the female patient noted a 30% to 35% improvement.

Dr. Seidman presented his findings formally at the 2005 Combined Otolaryngological Spring Meeting in Boca Raton, Fla., and informally with updates at the April International Otology-Audiology Spring Conference in Shanghai, China, and the September International Tinnitus Forum Meeting in Los Angeles, Calif.

The auditory cortex may not be the only site for electrical stimulation.

Reaction from the Field

Following the Los Angeles program, well-known tinnitus researcher Abraham Shulman, MD, Professor Emeritus at SUNY-Downstate in Brooklyn, NY, and Director of Otology and Neurotology at the Martha Entenmann Tinnitus Research Center in Forest Hills, NY, noted in an editorial that notwithstanding that the study was limited to two single cases, the report was exciting.

In an interview with ENToday, Dr. Shulman said Dr. Seidman is to be congratulated for his effort and that the procedure was a significant step forward, but it is premature at this time to think of this as a treatment for tinnitus. The procedure is an ongoing research project. Its significance for tinnitus relief will be determined by the long-term clinical course of the tinnitus, as reported by patients following the procedure.

He also indicated that for success of the procedure in achieving tinnitus relief, patient selection will be critical and the reported tinnitus relief will most likely be individual and variable.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 | Single Page

Filed Under: Departments, Medical Education, Otology/Neurotology, Practice Focus Tagged With: electrical stimulation, outcomes, patient satisfaction, research, sensorineural hearing loss, surgery, survey, techniques, tinnitus, treatmentIssue: May 2006

You Might Also Like:

  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation May Treat Tinnitus
  • Congress Mandates Better Reporting of Tinnitus Among United States Military
  • Electrical Stimulation in the Nose Induces Sense of Smell
  • The Mechanisms of Tinnitus: Research Progress and Treatment Implications

The Triological SocietyENTtoday is a publication of The Triological Society.

The Laryngoscope
Ensure you have all the latest research at your fingertips; Subscribe to The Laryngoscope today!

Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology
Open access journal in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery is currently accepting submissions.

Classifieds

View the classified ads »

TRIO Best Practices

View the TRIO Best Practices »

Top Articles for Residents

  • Do Training Programs Give Otolaryngology Residents the Necessary Tools to Do Productive Research?
  • Why More MDs, Medical Residents Are Choosing to Pursue Additional Academic Degrees
  • What Physicians Need to Know about Investing Before Hiring a Financial Advisor
  • Tips to Help You Regain Your Sense of Self
  • Should USMLE Step 1 Change from Numeric Score to Pass/Fail?
  • Popular this Week
  • Most Popular
  • Most Recent
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • Experts Delve into Treatment Options for Laryngopharyngeal Reflux
    • Weaning Patients Off of PPIs
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Vertigo in the Elderly: What Does It Mean?
    • New Developments in the Management of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
    • Some Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Resists PPI Treatment
    • Eustachian Tuboplasty: A Potential New Option for Chronic Tube Dysfunction and Patulous Disease
    • The Dramatic Rise in Tongue Tie and Lip Tie Treatment
    • Did You Receive COVID-19 Relief? Here Are Reporting Considerations for 2021
    • Otolaryngology Experts Share Best Practices in Five Areas
    • How Climate Change May Be Affecting Sleep Patterns for Adults and Children
    • Laryngologists Discuss Tough Tracheostomy Choices During COVID-19 Era
    • Head and Neck Cancer: Experts Discuss How to Improve Surgery Quality and Value

Polls

Did you receive funding from the CARES Act or Paycheck Protection Program?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Visit: The Triological Society • The Laryngoscope • Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology

Wiley
© 2021 The Triological Society. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN 1559-4939

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.