Electromagnetic Pulse Therapy Aids Tinnitus Sufferers

Chronic sufferers of tinnitus have received non-invasive brain stimulation to sucessfully reduce their symptoms by up to 31% in US trials published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
The treatment, known as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), delivers electromagnetic pulses through a coil to the patient's scalp. Low-frequency rTMS is known to reduce brain activity in directly stimulated regions and has been proposed as an innovative treatment strategy for medical conditions associated with increased cortical activity, including tinnitus.
The study participants with chronic tinnitus received 2,000 pulses per session of active or placebo rTMS on 10 consecutive workdays. Follow-up assessments were done at 1, 2, 4, 13, and 26 weeks after the last treatment session. 64 participants were included in the final analyses. No participants withdrew from the study because of adverse effects of rTMS.
Study authors from Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University, Portland write:
"If rTMS continues to demonstrate efficacy as a treatment for tinnitus, future investigations should include multisite clinical trials. If these larger clinical trials replicate efficacy of rTMS that has been demonstrated in the present study, then steps should be taken to implement the procedure as a clinical treatment for chronic tinnitus."
"We do not believe that rTMS should be viewed as a replacement for effective tinnitus management strategies that are available now. Instead, rTMS could augment existing tinnitus therapies and provide a viable option for patients who do not respond favorably to other treatments."