Long-Term Distributed Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Tinnitus: A Feasibility Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Otolaryngology
• Neuromodulation

Background:

• Refractory tinnitus significantly impacts quality of life.
• Current treatment schedules for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) are often short-term and aggregated.
• Long-term, distributed therapeutic schedules for TMS remain largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and tolerability of a seven-month distributed therapeutic repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocol for refractory tinnitus.
• To assess the clinical benefit and safety of this long-term rTMS approach.

Main Methods:

• Eight subjects with refractory tinnitus received weekly 1 Hz rTMS targeting the temporoparietal junction for five weeks.
• Responders entered a monthly rTMS maintenance phase for five additional months.
• Outcomes included subject satisfaction, compliance, tinnitus severity, and adverse events.

Main Results:

• High subject satisfaction and near 100% compliance were observed.
• Significant improvements in tinnitus severity were noted at week 5.
• No serious adverse events were reported during the study.

Conclusions:

• A distributed, long-term rTMS schedule is feasible, well-tolerated, and potentially clinically beneficial for refractory tinnitus.
• This approach warrants further investigation as an alternative to conventional short-term rTMS protocols.
• Further research into varied rTMS treatment schedules is crucial for optimizing therapeutic applications.