Neuromodulation Techniques in the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus With Hearing Loss

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT01944501

Enrollment

Registered

2013-09-17

Start date

2012-03-31

Completion date

2012-12-31

Last updated

2013-09-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hearing Loss, Tinnitus

Keywords

tinnitus, hearing loss, Transcranial magnetic stimulation, Transcranial direct current stimulation

Brief summary

This study aimed at trying transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation as potential treatments to decrease tinnitus in patients with significant hearing loss.

Detailed description

Tinnitus is a very common condition and affects approximately 15% of the population, disrupting sleep, emotional balance and social life of the patients. Acoustic deprivation causes hearing loss and is responsible for a cascade of processes that result in the reorganization of the cortex through a synchronization of neuronal activity related to a cortical re-mapping. Consistent with the hypothesis that tinnitus is caused by abnormal activation of the auditory cortex, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can temporarily reduce cortical hyperactivity through direct neuromodulation of the temporal cortex. Furthermore, studies have shown that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can also suppress tinnitus. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of rTMS and TDCS in the treatment of patients with chronic tinnitus and auditory loss. Methods: We performed an analytical experimental double-blind study using rTMS and tDCS in patients with chronic tinnitus and hearing loss.

Interventions

PROCEDURETranscranial Magnetic Stimulation

TMS over the left temporoparietal cortex

PROCEDURETranscranial Direct Current Stimulation

TDCS over the left temporoparietal cortex

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

45 Years to 70 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* chronic tinnitus * hearing loss

Exclusion criteria

* neurological diseases * use of drugs affecting the central nervous system * evidence of dementia * clinical diagnosis of depression

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Change in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) scores	THI was measured before intervention (baseline) and after 5 daily sessions (day 5)

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Change in Visual Analog Scale scores	Visual analog scale of tinnitus was recorded at baseline and after daily 5 TMS or TDCS sessions ( day 5)

Countries

Brazil

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026