Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Trans-Tympanic Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Ototoxicity
Published on: March 16, 2018
Vitamin E neuroprotection against cisplatin ototoxicity: Preliminary results from a randomized, placebo-controlled
Veronica Villani1, Chiara Zucchella1, Giovanni Cristalli2
1Neuro-Oncology Unit, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
Background:
Few studies have investigated the effect of vitamin E in reducing the cisplatin (CDDP)-induced ototoxicity. This study evaluated vitamin E supplementation as a protecting agent against CDDP-induced ototoxicity.
Methods:
Patients who started CDDP were randomly assigned to receive vitamin E supplementation at 400 mg per day (group 1) or placebo (group 2). Audiograms and evoked brainstem responses were obtained at baseline, and after 1, 2, and 3 months.
Results:
Twenty-three patients affected by solid malignancies were enrolled (13 in group 1 and 10 in group 2). At 1 month, a significant hearing loss in group 2 at both 2000 HZ (right ear: p = .05; left ear: p = .04) and 8000 HZ (right ear: p = .04; left ear: p = .03) was detected when compared to baseline values. Audiograms did not show significant changes. At 1 month, evoked brainstem responses remained unchanged in both arms without significant differences between groups.
Conclusion:
These preliminary findings confirm the neuroprotective properties of vitamin E against the CDDP-induced ototoxicity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2118-E2121, 2016.
