Antidepressant treatment of tinnitus patients. Interim report of a randomized clinical trial

Previous studies have shown that severe tinnitus is associated with current major depression, and that tricyclic antidepressant therapy reduces tinnitus disability, at least compared to brief placebo treatment. We are completing a randomized clinical trial of nortriptyline, stratified by presence or absence of current major depression, in 100 patients with severe chronic tinnitus. Preliminary analysis of global outcome on the first 52 patients reveals that those receiving nortriptyline were more likely to feel that their drug had been helpful (74% vs. 36%, p less than 0.01), but were equally likely to report that their tinnitus was improved (37% vs. 32%, NS). So far, neither audiometric nor self-report measures of tinnitus have demonstrated statistically significant differences between active drug and placebo. Simply administered visual rating scales, if externally-referenced, correlated better with global outcome than did the Iowa Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire. As expected, nortriptyline was significantly superior to placebo with respect to reductions in the Hamilton Depression Scale, especially in depressed patients. Paradoxically, depressed patients reported more disability and loudness on all scales, but had lower 1 kHz tinnitus intensity matches and dynamic ranges. Our preliminary conclusions are that: 1) nortriptyline reduces depression in patients with severe tinnitus, 2) placebo effects are very important in the treatment of tinnitus, 3) depression may be associated with decreased tolerance for both internal and external sounds, and 4) it is still difficult to specify the appropriate measures of tinnitus loudness and disability for use in therapeutic trials.