Augustana College offering FDA-approved tinnitus treatment device

Augustana College’s Barbara A. Roseman Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing is offering assessment appointments for individuals with tinnitus interested in using the FDA-approved Lenire treatment device. 

Augustana’s Dr. Ann Perreau, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders and the Audiology Clinic coordinator, said the Roseman Center in 2023 became one of the first clinics in Illinois approved to provide Lenire. 

Developed by Neuromod Devices, Lenire is a groundbreaking bimodal neuromodulation device that has been proven to provide clinically significant relief from tinnitus in clinical trials and real-world settings. 

“Tinnitus is a complex brain signaling condition that causes individuals to perceive sound, often a ringing in the ears, with no external source,” said Dr. Perreau. “Augustana is proud to offer this device to individuals in the Quad Cities who are seeking relief from tinnitus, which can impact 10-25% of adults and some children.”

Separate from this initiative, Dr. Perreau launched a remote counseling program for people with tinnitus in 2023. Participants engaged in six weekly video-recorded counseling sessions and other activities. The sessions helped individuals learn about the impact of tinnitus on their lives and helped researchers gain information that could lead to remedies for the hearing disorder. 

Lenire was awarded a De Novo FDA Approval Grant in 2023. According to the Lenire product website, Lenire combines audio through wireless headphones and mild pulses to the tongue. Lenire’s clinical trials show the dual-mode approach outperforms sound-only therapy for moderate or more severe tinnitus. 

“Our patients have benefited from Lenire in numerous ways,” said Dr. Perreau. “Patients report that their tinnitus is less noticeable and not nearly as intense. They are sleeping better and able to shift their attention away from tinnitus.”

So far the Roseman Center has assisted 20 patients. Individuals interested in the treatment can request an assessment appointment by visiting www.augustana.edu/clinic or calling 309-794-7358. 

The non-profit Roseman Center has provided communication therapy to community members in need of speech, language and hearing services for more than 75 years. The clinic provides speech services to more than 80 clients on a weekly basis during the school year and serves more than 50 clients in the summer. An additional 180 audiology clients are served annually.

In addition to tinnitus evaluation and management options, the center offers hearing tests for all ages, hearing aid evaluation and fitting, and hyperacusis evaluation and management.