Analysis of Gabapentin's Efficacy in Tinnitus Treatment: A Systematic Review

Tinnitus can be a chronic symptom that brings disability and distress. Some studies suggested that gabapentin might be effective on tinnitus relief. The objective of the study is to perform a systematic review in order to evaluate the efficacy of oral gabapentin in patients with tinnitus.

A literature search was conducted in English and following the recommendations from PRISMA. The terms used were: ("tinnitus" OR "subjective tinnitus") AND ("gabapentin"). The study selection was performed following the eligibility criteria in accordance to the PICOS (population, intervention, comparison, outcome, study design) strategy-patients with tinnitus; oral gabapentin; placebo; reduction of tinnitus severity questionnaires scores; prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, respectively. The selected studies were included in qualitative synthesis. The studies were analyzed according to Joanna Briggs Institute's critical appraisal checklist for randomized controlled trials.

One hundred twenty-one studies were found in 9 databases and 8 studies were found in gray literature. After study selection, 6 articles were read in full. Then, 2 studies were excluded and 4 were included in qualitative synthesis. All 4 articles were analyzed according to critical evaluation checklist.

There is insufficient evidence to recommend the use of gabapentin for patients with tinnitus.