BACKGROUND: Clinical as well as neurophysiological and neuroimaging data suggest that chronic tinnitus resembles neuropsychiatric syndromes characterized by focal brain activation. Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed as an efficient method in treating brain hyperexcitability disorders by reducing cortical excitability. METHODS: In three patients suffering from chronic tinnitus, the effect of magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography guided neuronavigated 1 Hz rTMS on auditory cortex activity was evaluated, using a sham controlled double-blind crossover design. RESULTS: Two of three patients revealed clearly increased metabolic activity in circumscript areas of the primary auditory cortex (PAC), allowing a selective stimulation of these cortical areas with low-frequency rTMS. Considerable improvement in tinnitus was achieved in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Neuronavigated rTMS of increased PAC activity may help to better understand the neuronal basis of chronic tinnitus and might offer a new option for treating auditory phantom perceptions like chronic tinnitus.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Clinical as well as neurophysiological and neuroimaging data suggest that chronic tinnitus resembles neuropsychiatric syndromes characterized by focal brain activation. Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed as an efficient method in treating brain hyperexcitability disorders by reducing cortical excitability. METHODS: In three patients suffering from chronic tinnitus, the effect of magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography guided neuronavigated 1 Hz rTMS on auditory cortex activity was evaluated, using a sham controlled double-blind crossover design. RESULTS: Two of three patients revealed clearly increased metabolic activity in circumscript areas of the primary auditory cortex (PAC), allowing a selective stimulation of these cortical areas with low-frequency rTMS. Considerable improvement in tinnitus was achieved in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Neuronavigated rTMS of increased PAC activity may help to better understand the neuronal basis of chronic tinnitus and might offer a new option for treating auditory phantom perceptions like chronic tinnitus.
Authors: Berthold Langguth; Tobias Kleinjung; Elmar Frank; Michael Landgrebe; Philipp Sand; Jana Dvorakova; Ulrich Frick; Peter Eichhammer; Göran Hajak Journal: Exp Brain Res Date: 2007-12-07 Impact factor: 1.972
Authors: C Plewnia; M Reimold; A Najib; G Reischl; S K Plontke; C Gerloff Journal: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry Date: 2006-08-04 Impact factor: 10.154
Authors: Christian Plewnia; Matthias Reimold; Arif Najib; Bernhard Brehm; Gerald Reischl; Stefan K Plontke; Christian Gerloff Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2007-03 Impact factor: 5.038
Authors: Robert I Henkin; Samuel J Potolicchio; Lucien M Levy; Ramy Moharram; Irina Velicu; Brian M Martin Journal: Am J Med Sci Date: 2010-03 Impact factor: 2.378