Tinnitus is believed to be caused by the brain generating a signal in areas that are no longer stimulated by the auditory system. Based on this idea, the Serenity System stimulates the vagus nerve, which plays a role in the formation of memory, while a specific tone is being played. Pairing different tones (with the notable exception of the tinnitus tone) with the nerve stimulation will strengthen the auditory neurons that represent the new tones, and over time the brain will learn to ignore the particular tinnitus tone.

The treatment can be carried out at the patient’s home, and requires only headphones, a computer and the therapy software. Once the tinnitus tone was subdued and the treatment stopped, the changes persisted for several weeks.