New Hope for Bagpipers Suffering from Tinnitus
The New Scientist reports on a new study published in the journal Nature that reveals the reduction of tinnitus in rats through external stimulation of a nerve in the brain.
“The team played tones in a range of frequencies, except those that caused tinnitus, to seven rats with the condition while stimulating their vagus nerve, a cranial nerve known to affect brain plasticity.
They repeated the process 300 times a day. After 18 days of this, the rats showed a significant reduction in tinnitus-related behaviour, which lasted three weeks. No change was seen in those given a sham treatment.”
A device for humans is in the works and could be a boon to serious bagpipers everywhere. (Anyone with permanent ringing, you know what I’m talking about.)
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Tinnitus
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Kevin Troake