Home Diseases and Conditions Tinnitus

Tinnitus

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Development Stage

Early Stage

Focused ultrasound research is in the laboratory phase and is not yet available for patients.

Clinical Trials

Focused ultrasound for this condition is being researched in clinical trials.

International Approval

Focused ultrasound is approved to treat this condition outside the US. Patients can seek commercial treatment at participating international sites.

FDA Approved

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved focus ultrasound for this condition. Patients can seek commercial treatment at participating sites.

Early Stage

Clinical Trials

International

FDA Approved

Focused ultrasound for this condition is being researched in clinical trials.

Focused Ultrasound Therapy 

Focused ultrasound is a rapidly evolving, therapeutic technology that could transform the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with tinnitus. This novel technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on targets deep in the brain without damaging surrounding normal tissue.

How it Works 
Where the beams converge, focused ultrasound produces low intensity stimulation near the hippocampus which appears to be reducing the symptoms of tinnitus. It is also possible to use stimulation near the vagus nerve to alter the sensations of tinnitus.

The primary options for treatment of tinnitus are limited both in the ways to treat the disease and in their effectiveness.

For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a non-invasive alternative to the current treatments.

Advantages

  • Focused ultrasound is noninvasive, so it does not carry added concerns like surgical wound healing or infection.
  • Focused ultrasound can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue.
  • It can be repeated, if necessary.

Clinical Trials

A clinical trial in Hong Kong is using low intensity focused ultrasound to evaluate its impact on tinnitus.

A clinical trial in the UK is using low intensity focused ultrasound to stimulate the vagus nerve to evaluate its impact on tinnitus. This project has completed recruitment of patients.

A clinical trial in the UK intends to use DBS targets deep in the brain as focused ultrasound targets for treatment of tinnitus. This trial is organizing and is not yet enrolling patients.

The Foundation updates these pages regularly, but with the increasing number of clinical trials, we want to be sure that our audience has the latest information available. Therefore, we also added the website search information for the above trials. If you click here, it will take you to the latest information available from https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/. 

Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement

Focused ultrasound treatment for tinnitus is not yet approved by regulatory bodies or covered by medical insurance companies.

Notable Papers

Suzuki S. High-intensity focused ultrasound rectoanal lifting (HIFU-RAL) for prolapsed hemorrhoids: a case series. J Surg Case Rep. 2025 Sep 20;2025(9):rjaf650. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjaf650. eCollection 2025 Sep. PMID: 40979427

Suzuki S. Combined therapy of HIFU rectoanal lifting (HIFU-RAL) and sclerotherapy for prolapsed hemorrhoids and rectal mucosal prolapse: A case series. Medicine (Baltimore). 2025 Sep 5;104(36):e44368. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000044368. PMID: 40922264

Click here for additional references from PubMed.