Neuronavigated left temporal continuous theta burst stimulation in chronic tinnitus

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Otolaryngology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) offers moderate clinical effects for chronic tinnitus.
• Enhancing rTMS efficacy requires improved coil localization, novel stimulation protocols, and predictors of treatment response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neuronavigated continuous theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (cTBS) in a pilot study for chronic tinnitus.
• To evaluate the efficacy of cTBS compared to sham treatment.
• To identify predictors of treatment response.

Main Methods:

• A randomized sham-controlled trial involving 23 patients with chronic tinnitus.
• Neuronavigated cTBS applied to the left primary auditory cortex (12 verum, 11 sham).
• Treatment response assessed using tinnitus questionnaires and numeric rating scales; immediate change in the first session served as a predictor.

Main Results:

• Tinnitus symptom reduction was significant post-treatment, with no significant difference between verum and sham cTBS.
• Immediate change in numeric rating scales during the first session predicted treatment response exclusively in the verum group.

Conclusions:

• Neuronavigated cTBS did not demonstrate superiority over sham treatment for chronic tinnitus in this pilot study.
• Further research is needed to refine non-invasive brain stimulation techniques for tinnitus.
• Investigating the translation of positive single-session effects into daily treatment protocols is recommended.