Irish-developed device to treat tinnitus ‘significantly' reduces symptoms, clinical trial finds
'Many people experience short-term, or transient, tinnitus, after loud noise exposure at a concert or work,' said Dr Ross O'Neill – who received his PhD from Maynooth University - the inventor of the Lenire device.
A US clinical trial of Lenire, involving 220 patients at the Alaska Hearing & Tinnitus Center, reported in Nature Communications Medicine found that 91pc of patients involved had a 'clinically significant' reduction in their tinnitus after 12 weeks of treatment with Lenire.
Most commonly, tinnitus is caused by ageing, exposure to loud noise at concerts or working in potentially noisy occupations like construction.
It can also affect people in quieter roles such as software developers because people in these less noisy environments can have an increased perception of tinnitus.
In the most severe cases, tinnitus can lead to depression, anxiety and social isolation and in the most extreme cases, and even result in self-harm ideation.
Up to now, few proven treatment options existed for tinnitus. 'Typically patients would be told to practice cognitive behavioural therapy, to mask the tinnitus noise with a noise machine or wear a hearing aid as improved hearing may help a person reduce their perception of tinnitus,' said Dr O'Neill.
The Lenire device works by combining audio stimulation and mild electrical stimulation to the surface of the tongue. This is done in order to reduce the brain's perception of tinnitus, sometimes described as 'ringing in the ears'.
This technique, which is known as bimodal neuromodulation, involves the simultaneous stimulation of two nerves for therapeutic purposes.
Lenire plays audio tones to the patient via headphones while delivering mild energy pulses to the surface of the tongue to treat tinnitus.
Meanwhile, the results of the US trial, said Dr O'Neill, demonstrate that Lenire can be an effective treatment for 'real world' patients that have tinnitus.
The Lenire device is available in five Irish clinics, based in Dublin, Cork and Kildare, and treatment costs between €3,400 - €3,800 depending on the clinic.
A spokesperson for Neuromod Devices, the Dublin-based company behind the device, said that the price includes a tinnitus assessment, fitting of the device and multiple check-ups throughout treatment.
'Audiology appointment costs can be subsidised depending on the insurance plan,' he said, adding 'Lenire is not yet covered by insurance.'
Under the care of an audiologist, patients typically use Lenire at home for two 30-minute sessions daily for an average of 12 weeks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland set for extreme cold if Atlantic current collapses, new study suggests
The collapse of the Atlantic ocean current that warms Ireland could see Dublin experiencing temperatures of minus 22 degrees and more days reaching a maximum of zero degrees. That's according to stark findings by Netherlands-based scientists who published their results on Wednesday in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) is a large ocean circulation that plays a crucial role in regulating both the global and European climate by redistributing heat through the ocean. There has been growing concern among scientists that the Amoc, of which the Gulf Stream is a part, may collapse following a big influx of freshwater. While this would bring colder conditions to northwest Europe, global warming would continue in other parts of the planet. READ MORE Commenting on the findings, Met Éireann said: 'This research adds to a body of evidence showing that an Amoc collapse would be a high-impact, transformative event. The concern is justified because the consequences, as modelled here, would be severe. 'People should be concerned about the risk that climate change poses to major Earth systems like the Amoc,' it added. 'This paper underscores the severity of what is at stake. However, it is not a prediction that Ireland is headed for an ice age in the coming decades.' 'This study looks at a future where the Amoc has collapsed,' said Dr Gerard McCarthy who is based at Maynooth University 's climate research unit Icarus. 'The Amoc is a system of ocean currents incorporating the Gulf Stream and is one of the factors that gives Ireland a relatively mild climate,' added Dr McCarthy, who is also co-chair of JPI Oceans, a pan-European initiative aiming to deliver climate assessment of the Amoc. [ Amoc: Atlantic Ocean current that gives Ireland benign climate 'may not collapse this century', study finds Opens in new window ] Specifically for Dublin, the scientists at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute and Utrecht University predict 32 per cent of days per year will go below zero – 95 days more than pre-industrial times. They conclude 37 days per year will only reach a maximum temperature of below zero in Dublin – 36 days more than pre-industrial levels. Belfast will be even harder hit, the scientists predict, with 41 per cent of the year below zero. Met Éireann said the figures mentioned by the researchers for Dublin and Belfast should be interpreted with 'extreme caution'. Dr McCarthy said the study was not a forecast, and looks centuries into the future when flooding is expected to increase the freshwater flowing into the North Atlantic by 10 to 40 times. 'That Ireland would have a relatively cooler, stormier future under a scenario where the Amoc collapses has been seen often before,' he said. 'However, this is a study even more dramatic in its projections. Hearing these numbers can be shocking and worrying. There is no doubt that the risks associated with an Amoc collapse would be large for Ireland.' The study was not a projection of what is likely to happen 'but a warning about what could if we fail to act on climate.' 'In particular, winter sea ice extending as far south as Ireland, with associated sub-zero cold extremes is quite shocking. Action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions is by far the most important thing we can do to avoid these worst-case scenarios,' he added. [ Winter flood and storm damage may worsen due to Atlantic wind system changes, scientists warn Opens in new window ] For Europe as a whole, this study predicts the advance of sea ice – covering parts of Britain, for example – substantial cooling, more cold extremes, increased winter storms and bigger day-to-day temperature variations. Major cities such as London and Paris would experience cold extremes of -19 and -18 degrees respectively, and more than two months' worth of additional days with sub-zero temperatures compared with the pre-industrial climate. In Scotland, researchers predict its cold extremes could drop to -30C, some 23 degrees colder than the coldest episodes there in the late 19th century. 'The relatively mild climate for a city such as Edinburgh would see drastic changes,' said Dr Michiel Baatsen, a co-author of the study. It would experience 164 days with minimum temperatures below zero, that's almost 50 per cent of the year, and an increase of 133 days compared with the pre-industrial climate.
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Autistic man (23) ‘trapped' in psychiatric unit for five years as HSE fails to secure accommodation
A 23-year-old autistic man has been in a psychiatric unit for the last five years as the Health Service Executive (HSE) has been unable to source an appropriate care facility for him, his mother has claimed. Robert Brady, from Walkinstown, Dublin 12, has been 'trapped in a psychiatric unit for years with no end in sight', Anne Dillon said. His family is not permitted to visit him at the moment and are only allowed to receive phone calls from him inside the facility, Ms Dillon said, leaving them feeling 'crushed, devastated and broken'. Mr Brady was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in 2019 while under the care of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services at the Linn Dara inpatient facility in Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. READ MORE Ms Dillon, said he 'was abruptly removed' from this facility 'and taken on the morning of his [18th] birthday to Tallaght [University Hospital] psychiatric unit', where he has lived ever since. This is 'an environment that is not suitable for his needs', as he is non-violent and not suffering from serious mental illness, Ms Dillon said. She added that this has led to a stark deterioration in his mental and physical wellbeing. [ 'This is a very posh prison': Living in a nursing home since the age of 46 Opens in new window ] 'Nobody in his care disputes the fact that this is not a suitable environment,' she said, citing high sensory overload in a clinical setting and being 'full of people who are in the most disturbed phase of their illness'. Ms Dillon has petitioned the HSE for the past five years to secure a place in an appropriate care facility for her son. The HSE told The Irish Times that although it 'cannot comment on individual cases, we can confirm that the appropriate services are engaging directly with this service user and their family'. 'Multidisciplinary care planning for all patients is holistic and includes discharge planning', it said. In email correspondence seen by The Irish Times, Minister of State with responsibility for Mental Health Mary Butler's office wrote to Ms Dillon in April 2025 that 'the HSE indicate that [ ...] identifying an appropriate placement for him has been challenging'. Ms Butler told The Irish Times 'my priority is that anyone experiencing mental health difficulties has timely access to, and the appropriate level of care they require from our mental health services'. 'The Government is committed to ensuring that all those accessing all aspects of our health services are receiving treatment and care appropriately,' she said. [ Opinion: Children experiencing mental illness can't afford to wait for reform to happen by magic Opens in new window ] Ms Butler said she cannot comment on individual cases, but 'the HSE works in close partnership with families to identify solutions to ensure care and treatment is achieved for all patients'. Sinn Féin Senator Chris Andrews raised the case in Seanad Éireann on Tuesday, saying Mr Brady 'was completely failed by our mental health and disability services' and a 'horrendous catalogue of failures' from the State. 'His complex condition is now used to justify claims that no suitable placement exists,' he said. This is 'a situation directly caused by the State's inaction and unwillingness to provide early intervention care'. Fine Gael Seanad leader Seán Kyne, replying for the Government, said Mr Brady's was a 'specific case' that Mr Andrews should raise under a different Seanad format.
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
The Irish Times view on AI and Ireland: the future will not wait
Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant concept confined to Silicon Valley or science fiction. It is here, now, reshaping economies, transforming industries and prompting governments to rethink everything from education and employment to ethics and regulation. The question Ireland must urgently confront is whether it is truly prepared for the scale and speed of change AI is set to unleash. There are reasons both for cautious optimism and concern. Ireland has long positioned itself as a European technology hub, hosting the headquarters of many of the world's leading tech firms. Government agencies are actively courting AI investment. Research centres in Irish universities are leaders in developing cutting-edge AI applications. The recent launch of an AI Skills programme by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment signals a growing recognition of the need to upskill the workforce. But the evidence of the last decade also suggests that Irish regulators struggle to come to terms with the challenges posed by US tech companies which are not slow to wield their considerable political influence. The establishment of an Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence, which met for the first time this week, marks a step in deepening political and legislative engagement with the issue. The committee has the potential to initiate a broader public and legislative debate on AI policy that balances innovation with the safeguarding of democratic values and public interest. But for this to succeed, it will need to act in constructive coordination with education, enterprise and civil society. Because readiness is about more than strategy documents, it must reach into the heart of how we educate, train, and govern. Schools, for example, are already grappling with how to prepare students for a new world in which traditional educational metrics are no longer credible. The reformed Leaving Certificate, with its increased emphasis on project work, now faces an unexpected challenge: how to assess students fairly in a world where generative AI can produce plausible essays and design projects at the click of a button. READ MORE Equally urgent are the labour market implications. AI is set to displace roles in sectors ranging from transport and customer support to software development and legal services. Without a serious, joined-up national response, Ireland could face widening inequality, social dislocation and a growing digital divide. Nimble policymaking and innovative thinking are imperative. But this moment also requires political will and public investment. AI is not just a technological leap. It is a societal transformation. If Ireland is to thrive in this new age, it must act with speed, coherence and purpose. The future will not wait.
