Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for Tinnitus

Tinnitus Clinical Trial

Official title: Effectiveness of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Treatment in Patients With Chronic Tinnitus

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

Tinnitus is a phantom auditory perception of meaningless sound, meaning that there is registration of sound in the absence of an external or internal acoustic stimulus. It is a common problem (prevalence 7-19%) which may interfere with the ability to lead a normal life. Unfortunately, it is a very difficult symptom to treat because there are hardly any therapeutic options for the cause of tinnitus. Most therapies focus on alleviating the condition rather than treating the cause. Tinnitus is thought to be generated in the brain, as a result of functional reorganization of auditory neural pathways and tonotopic maps in the central auditory system, following damage to the peripheral auditory system. Repetitive Transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a therapy, based on this concept of reorganization in the auditory cortex. It uses a pulsed magnetic field to disrupt the neural circuit and to thereby (temporarily) excite or inhibit certain brain areas, leading to the suppression of tinnitus.

Clinical Trial Description

n/a

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Tinnitus

• NCT number: NCT00668720
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: UMC Utrecht
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: April 2008
• Completion date: June 2011