Lenire bimodal neuromodulation
Two senses. One signal to unlearn
Lenire pairs sound delivered through Bluetooth headphones with gentle electrical pulses on the surface of the tongue. Stimulating two sensory pathways at once drives the neuroplastic change that makes tinnitus less noticeable. It is available only through trained clinicians.
What it is
Sound and touch, delivered together
Bimodal neuromodulation means stimulating two different sensory systems in a timed pairing. With Lenire that is the auditory system, through sound, and the somatosensory system, through the trigeminal nerve on the tongue.
Pairing the two appears to drive changes in how the brain processes the tinnitus signal more effectively than sound on its own. The TENT-A3 trial, published in Nature Communications, found bimodal stimulation clinically superior to sound only stimulation for most patients with moderate or worse tinnitus.
Lenire was the first device of its kind to receive an FDA De Novo grant for the treatment of tinnitus, and it is approved for supply in Australia.
Three parts to the device
- Tonguetip. An intraoral device that sits comfortably in the mouth and delivers gentle electrical stimulation across 32 electrodes on the tongue surface
- Bluetooth headphones. Deliver sequences of audio tones to both ears, tailored to your tinnitus profile
- Handheld controller. Lets you adjust duration and intensity so stimulation stays noticeable but comfortable
Timing, intensity and delivery are configured by your clinician. Settings are not something you guess at.
How treatment runs
What to expect
Lenire is a clinician delivered treatment. That is a requirement of how the device is supplied, and it is also what makes the difference between using a device and completing a program.
Assessment and eligibility
Full tinnitus assessment including validated severity scoring. Lenire is indicated for patients with moderate or worse tinnitus, so scoring is how eligibility is determined rather than how bothered you felt on the day you called.
Fitting and configuration
Your clinician fits the device, sets the audio and tongue stimulation parameters to your profile, and takes you through daily use. This appointment is in person.
Daily treatment at home
Around an hour a day, typically split into two sessions, in a quiet setting. Most people do it sitting down in the evening. You control volume and stimulation intensity within the range your clinician has set.
Review and adjustment
Scheduled reviews through the treatment period. Settings are changed at defined points in the protocol, and your severity scores are retaken so progress is measured rather than estimated.
Counselling alongside it
Lenire sits inside a program, not instead of one. Counselling, cognitive strategies and sleep support run in parallel, because the device changes the signal processing while the program changes your relationship with the sound.
If Lenire is not the right pathway for you, we will say so.Four other therapies, none of them a consolation prize
Being straight with you
What Lenire is and is not
What the evidence shows
- Three large scale clinical trials, TENT-A1, TENT-A2 and TENT-A3
- Superior to sound only stimulation for most patients with moderate or worse tinnitus
- Improvements sustained at 12 months post treatment for a large proportion of responders
- First bimodal neuromodulation device granted FDA De Novo approval for tinnitus
What it does not do
- It does not cure tinnitus or make it silent
- It does not work for everyone, and no device does
- It does not replace counselling and cognitive work
- It does not treat hearing loss
Practical realities
- Requires in person fitting and review, so it is not a Telehealth option
- Requires around an hour a day, consistently
- The tongue sensation takes a few days to get used to
- Not suitable for some patients, which the assessment identifies
If Lenire is not the right pathway for you, we will say so. There are four other therapies on our list and none of them are a consolation prize.
Lenire questions
Straight answers
Does the tongue stimulation hurt?
No. It is set to be noticeable but near threshold, and most people describe it as a light tingle or fizz. You control the intensity within the range your clinician sets, and it is adjusted at review appointments as you get used to it.
How is this different to Neuromonics?
Neuromonics uses sound alone, customised music delivered over 52 weeks with Telehealth coaching. Lenire adds a second stimulation pathway through the tongue and runs over a shorter, more intensive period with in person fitting. They suit different people, and the assessment is what tells us which.
Can I use it if I wear hearing aids?
Usually yes, though the treatment is delivered through the Lenire headphones rather than through your aids. Your clinician will work out the practical sequencing with you.
What if I have already tried sound therapy?
That is one of the situations where Lenire is most often considered, since the trial evidence specifically compares bimodal stimulation against sound only stimulation. Bring the detail of what you tried and for how long, it genuinely helps.