Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2025
07:05
A Protocol for the Administration of Real-Time fMRI Neurofeedback Training
Published on: August 24, 2017
11.0K
Neuromodulation Treatments Targeting Pathological Synchrony for Tinnitus in Adults: A Systematic Review
Derek J Hoare1,2, Gillian W Shorter3, Giriraj S Shekhawat4,5
1NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK.
Brain Sciences
|August 29, 2024
Summary
Neuromodulation therapies show promise for tinnitus relief. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) significantly improved tinnitus symptom severity in a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Otolaryngology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external source, often linked to distress and disability.
- Current treatments effectively manage symptoms but do not alter underlying neurophysiological activity.
- Neuromodulation offers a potential pathway to target and modify pathological neural activity in tinnitus.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effectiveness of neuromodulation therapies for tinnitus.
- To evaluate interventions targeting pathological synchronous neural activity.
- To synthesize evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on neuromodulation for tinnitus.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of multiple databases for RCTs on neuromodulation for tinnitus in adults.
- Inclusion of 24 randomized controlled trials.
- Risk of bias assessment and meta-analysis where appropriate.
Main Results:
- Limited evidence for acoustic, vagal nerve, transcranial alternating current, or bimodal stimulation techniques.
- Multiple trials of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) showed significant improvement in tinnitus symptom severity compared to control.
- High heterogeneity was observed across studies.
Conclusions:
- Neuromodulation for tinnitus is an emerging and promising therapeutic field.
- Electrical stimulation techniques, including tDCS, warrant further investigation.
- Advances in current flow modeling can inform future neuromodulation study designs.
