Similar in concept to rTMR, electrical stimulation can induce changes in abnormal brain activity leading to a reduction in the perception of tinnitus. However, rather than using a magnetic field to alter neuronal activity, a weak electrical impulse is applied to the brain region of interest.

A large study comprising 248 tinnitus patients showed that 130 patients experienced a reduction in tinnitus severity, and 32 patients had complete relief, with electrical stimulation. However, a randomised placebo-controlled study in 2008 concluded that electrical stimulation was ineffective in reducing tinnitus severity [[i]].

A report by the Department of Neurosurgery in Antwerp, Belgium, has shown that electrical stimulation leads to a 97% reduction in patients who present with pure tone tinnitus when compared to 24% suppression for patients with a wider spectrum of tinnitus noise. A different study shows that intermittent ‘typewriter-type’ tinnitus was most responsive to treatment [[ii]].

There still needs to be a lot of research in this area. At present there appears to be no standard course for electrical stimulation therapy for tinnitus and there remains debate on which method of electrical stimulation is most effective [[iii]]. The dosing, methodology, and location of the treatment need to be explored, as well as the subgroup of tinnitus patients who will benefit most.

One advantage of this form of therapy over rTMS is that there is a lot more scope for self-treatment at home with a personal electrical device.  There are a few electrical stimulators emerging in the commercial tinnitus marketplace, a selection of which are described below.