BACKGROUND: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the temporal cortex has shown beneficial effects in patients with chronic tinnitus. Recent preclinical data in healthy controls suggest that the effects of low-frequency rTMS can be enhanced by dopaminergic drugs. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether application of the dopamine reuptake inhibitor bupropion increases the clinical effects of low-frequency rTMS over the auditory cortex in tinnitus patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighteen subjects with chronic tinnitus received 10 sessions of 1 Hz rTMS (2000 pulses/day, 110% motor threshold) applied to the left temporal cortex. In addition, these subjects received one dosage of 150 mg bupropion (Wellbutrin XL/Elontril) 4 hours before each TMS session. Treatment outcome was assessed with a tinnitus questionnaire over a 3-month period. Treatment effects were compared with a control group of 100 tinnitus patients matched for age, tinnitus duration, and tinnitus questionnaire baseline scores, who received the same rTMS treatment without prior bupropion application. RESULTS: For the whole sample, there was a significant effect of rTMS treatment over time. There were no significant differences between the bupropion and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that 150 mg bupropion administration does not enhance the effect of rTMS in the treatment of tinnitus.
BACKGROUND: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the temporal cortex has shown beneficial effects in patients with chronic tinnitus. Recent preclinical data in healthy controls suggest that the effects of low-frequency rTMS can be enhanced by dopaminergic drugs. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether application of the dopamine reuptake inhibitor bupropion increases the clinical effects of low-frequency rTMS over the auditory cortex in tinnituspatients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighteen subjects with chronic tinnitus received 10 sessions of 1 Hz rTMS (2000 pulses/day, 110% motor threshold) applied to the left temporal cortex. In addition, these subjects received one dosage of 150 mg bupropion (Wellbutrin XL/Elontril) 4 hours before each TMS session. Treatment outcome was assessed with a tinnitus questionnaire over a 3-month period. Treatment effects were compared with a control group of 100 tinnituspatients matched for age, tinnitus duration, and tinnitus questionnaire baseline scores, who received the same rTMS treatment without prior bupropion application. RESULTS: For the whole sample, there was a significant effect of rTMS treatment over time. There were no significant differences between the bupropion and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that 150 mg bupropion administration does not enhance the effect of rTMS in the treatment of tinnitus.
Authors: Astrid Lehner; Martin Schecklmann; Michael Landgrebe; Peter M Kreuzer; Timm B Poeppl; Elmar Frank; Veronika Vielsmeier; Tobias Kleinjung; Rainer Rupprecht; Berthold Langguth Journal: Front Syst Neurosci Date: 2012-02-23
Authors: Peter Michael Kreuzer; Michael Landgrebe; Martin Schecklmann; Timm B Poeppl; Veronika Vielsmeier; Goeran Hajak; Tobias Kleinjung; Berthold Langguth Journal: Front Syst Neurosci Date: 2011-11-04
Authors: Berthold Langguth; Martin Schecklmann; Astrid Lehner; Michael Landgrebe; Timm Benjamin Poeppl; Peter Michal Kreuzer; Winfried Schlee; Nathan Weisz; Sven Vanneste; Dirk De Ridder Journal: Front Syst Neurosci Date: 2012-04-09
Authors: Astrid Lehner; Martin Schecklmann; Timm B Poeppl; Peter M Kreuzer; Juliette Peytard; Elmar Frank; Berthold Langguth Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2015-10-25 Impact factor: 3.411