Bimodal Auditory-Somatosensory Stimulation
Precisely-timed pairing of sound with electrical stimulation of the head/neck to induce long-term depression (LTD) in dorsal cochlear nucleus fusiform cells
Human randomized controlled trial, built on preclinical animal work
How it works
A take-home device pairs sound with somatosensory stimulation at intervals that drive stimulus-timing-dependent plasticity, desynchronizing hyperactive DCN circuits. A randomized clinical trial found it reduced tinnitus loudness and intrusiveness, with effects persisting into the washout phase. Its clinical embodiment is the Susan Shore Device (SSD), being commercialised by Auricle, Inc., the same device tracked as 'SSD (Susan Shore Device)' in the Therapy Pipeline.
This describes the treatment concept as reported in the cited research: a scientific mechanism, not a guarantee of clinical availability.
Evidence (2)
Reversing Synchronized Brain Circuits Using Targeted Auditory-Somatosensory Stimulation to Treat Phantom Percepts: A Randomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA network open · 2023
Randomized clinical trial: bimodal auditory-somatosensory stimulation significantly reduced tinnitus loudness and severity.
Auditory-somatosensory bimodal stimulation desynchronizes brain circuitry to reduce tinnitus in guinea pigs and humans.
Science translational medicine · 2018
Foundational study: LTD-inducing bimodal stimulation desynchronizes DCN fusiform cells and reduced tinnitus in guinea pigs and a first-in-human trial.