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Published on: March 16, 2018
Ondansetron in patients with tinnitus: randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study
Shervin Taslimi1, Hamed Vahidi, Ali Pourvaziri
1Otorhinolaryngology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. taslimi@razi.tums.ac.ir
Summary
Ondansetron significantly reduced tinnitus severity in patients, improving the Tinnitus Severity Index (TSI) score. This medication also enhanced speech recognition and pure tone audiometry, suggesting a potential cochlear amplification effect for tinnitus management.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pharmacology
- Audiology
Background:
- Subjective tinnitus is a common auditory symptom often accompanied by hearing loss.
- Current treatments for tinnitus offer limited efficacy, necessitating research into novel therapeutic agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of ondansetron in alleviating subjective tinnitus symptoms.
- To assess the impact of ondansetron on hearing function and psychological distress in tinnitus patients.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 60 patients with subjective tinnitus.
- Patients received either gradually increasing doses of ondansetron or a placebo for 4 weeks.
- Outcomes included changes in Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Tinnitus Severity Index (TSI), visual analog scale (VAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) scores, audiologic tests, and speech recognition.
Main Results:
- Ondansetron significantly decreased the Tinnitus Severity Index (TSI) score compared to placebo (P=0.004).
- No significant differences were observed in VAS, THI, anxiety, or depression scores between groups.
- Ondansetron improved speech recognition threshold (SRT) and pure tone audiometry (PTA) in both ears.
Conclusions:
- Ondansetron demonstrates potential in reducing tinnitus severity.
- The drug may improve auditory function, possibly via cochlear amplification.
- Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and elucidate the mechanism of action.
