Susan Shore's Explanation for Tinnitus

I was reading this article (https://newatlas.com/tinnitus-cure-treatment-headset/52854/), and I found this explanation:

"The brain, and specifically the region of the brainstem called the dorsal cochlear nucleus, is the root of tinnitus," says Susan Shore, the U-M Medical School professor leading the research team. "When the main neurons in this region, called fusiform cells, become hyperactive and synchronize with one another, the phantom signal is transmitted into other centers where perception occurs. If we can stop these signals, we can stop tinnitus. That is what our approach attempts to do."

Fusiform cells perform several valuable functions under normal conditions. They help us locate where sounds are coming from, and help us tune out noises and sensations related to our own head and neck movements.

But after exposure to loud noises, these cells can start behaving aberrantly, messing up their timing so they begin to synchronize their signals and fire without a noise to tune out, which results in a perception of sound where none exists. The team decided to try a bimodal auditory/somatosensory stimulation routine to attempt to reset the behaviour of these cells.​

Is it me, or does it sound different from what I usually read on this forum? Here I read that tinnitus comes from the brain trying to replace lost frequencies, does this article tell the truth?

 

Does this article tell the truth?

For those with hearing loss related tinnitus I believe yes.

 

Observation-hypothesis-test

There would be your truth if she can prove her hypothesis (and get someone else to, somewhere else).

 

Susan Snore.

 

It's not trying to replace the lost frequencies, it's confused by the loss. Everyone loses their hearing - along with their eyesight and everything else as time marches on - and most won't experience tinnitus. It doesn't know how to let go. It's the brain's way of saying something is wrong and it can't quite figure out how to resolve it.

Also, don't forget, tinnitus isn't just one thing. It's a culmination of things. Most people actually suffer from Somatosensory Tinnitus In it's simplest terms it's the combination of hearing loss/damage and/or neck problems - C-spine issues and/or TMJ/Jaw issues - trigeminal nerves. Most people have one or two of these issues and still don't get tinnitus. Then you add the straw that breaks the camel's back and off you go. And unfortunately it's a lot easier to start than stop.

A large part of that is because the brain actually creates new neural pathways to replicate the experience - the same reason you have bad memories you'd like to get rid of but have a hard time doing so. So even when the issue(s) that started the tinnitus are resolved it continues. This causes confusion in the auditory cortex - DCN - and that keeps the fusiform cells misfiring/in a hyperactive state. Like depression and other neurological problems it becomes a self-reinforced negative feedback loop.

What Dr. Shore and Co. are doing is create a neuromodulation device that interrupts the DCN with microshocks. These microshocks act as a reset button. When you can stop them from misfiring that starts the decay process of the bad neural pathways and ultimately resolves the tinnitus. At least in theory. It's hard to say without seeing her data if this targeted for people just with acoustic damage or not. Somatosensory Tinnitus is a trickier bag because the tinnitus is a result of what's known as neuromuscular inflammation - that combination of causes.

And that doesn't even account for loss of neuroplasticity, which is also a determining factor in all tinnitus. The good news is neuromodulation actually creates new brain neuroplasticity - same as the Neuromod device or the Helius device which is targeted to MS sufferers. Those really rare times I have that super low day where it's barely there? I can live with that if that's the best it can do. Even if it's not a cure but can stop the bad days, that's solid gold right there. So in basic terms you're looking at brain repair plus brain reset = end of tinnitus. It probably won't be a magic bullet but it'll definitely cure some and it should really help most. So keep your fingers crossed.

 

So basically it's like pruning away the unneeded neural connections?

 

The current phase of trials is for somatic tinnitus. I applied, but was rejected due to not having tinnitus for 6 months and clonazepam use. I was told I would need to be off the med for 6 months before being eligible. Which I assume would put me outside the timeframe of acceptance anyway as I told them I’d do it and was told

“We do not recommend you go off your medication solely for the clinical trial. You would need to be off the medication for 6 months to be considered.
Thank you.”

All of these communications were with Jacqueline Kjolhede who also told me:

“Anyone would be able to use it, but it has been tested on people with mild hearing loss and tinnitus.”

This was in response to me asking if my having bilateral osteomas that could possibly be the cause of my tinnitus would rule me out as a candidate upon release.

“I recently have been diagnosed with bilateral osteomas of the IAC. I’m not asking about clinical trials, but would this be exclusion criteria for your device if and when it is released?”

The above was my exact wording.

 

The Susan Shore device isn't intended to be a home run but it will likely be, at a minimum, a stand up double.

 

Pretty much. Your mind creates and abolishes neural pathways all the time. They only decay away into nothingness when your brain realizes it doesn't need them anymore. That's part of why CBT can be effective for tinnitus sufferers as the training physically restructures your brain. There's a series called "Redesign My Brain" from TVO - TV Ontario. If you can find it online it's interesting as hell to watch. It's amazing what the brain can be taught to do. One episode the guy free climbs a rock face...blindfolded! And he's never climbed before. All by retraining his brain. No guarantees it'll work but it beats doing nothing and doing nothing with tinnitus is not an option - for me at any rate.

 

Do you know why they objected to Clonazepam? Was it any drug or that drug in particular?

 

Probably drugs that slow down neuroplasticity. I'm sure they would object to pregabalin too

 

Yes, as @Chinmoku said, probably its effect on neuroplasticity. They didn’t provide me with an explanation. There are other drugs. They don’t give you a list. They ask you what you take then tell you if it’s a problem. So I’m not sure of a comprehensive list. Serotonergic drugs were included. Presumably, because of a study/studies showing they can worsen tinnitus.

 

I believe it is simply that any given drug is going to make the overall data less consistent

When I was part of phase I of this research I basically stopped smoking pot for 6 months.

 

You told me before you were on a benzo (don’t remember which one in particular) PRN at the time before the restrictions for trials became more stringent.

 

Yes, this is true, but my PRN use at the time was extremely infrequent (biweekly or less on average) and if they'd told me I needed to drop it entirely for the study duration that wouldn't have bothered me.

They didn't have any official position on cannabis or alcohol at that point, IIRC; I ceased the first entirely, but did not stop drinking at any point. (Now that my benzo use is daily, my alcohol consumption is vastly lower and often zero).

 

Hi,

Did the treatment work for you?
I believe it should be released in 12 months.

 

Yes, it did, in a short term way for the duration of the trial.
What are you basing 12 months on? I've been in contact with Dr. Shore fairly recently about their ongoing trial and she did not give any timing updates, nor can I find such in print. I think at this point 2024 is optimistic; that was, originally, the outside of their window, but it's very clear that COVID-19 has been disruptive on many things including clinical trials.

 

Did the positive results wear off over time?

I emailed Dr Shore a few months ago and she mentioned that she was hoping to have good news to report by the end of 2021. In hindsight she may actually have been referring to having positive trial results rather than a treatment being released by then.

 

The results wore off very shortly after discontinuation of use of the device... days.

I'm optimistic about the tech here but less so about the timeframe.

 

The latest news on Dr Shore’s progress towards rolling out this device to the public. She has secured global patents, and plans are moving forward to manufacture the device!

https://innovation.medicine.umich.edu/portfolio_post/shore/

 

Hi,

Has anyone been following the progress of these trials? I’m curious to know what the latest news is regarding trials, data, potential device release, etc.

Thanks

 

I know this is an old thread but really really hoping this wouldn't mean that those of use treating on benzos would need to go off for 6 months prior to treating with Susan's device if it makes it to market.

 

I am wondering this as well because I am on benzos, and also if Susan's device will help reactive tinnitus and loudness hyperacusis. Dying with this stuff.