Effectiveness of Neuronavigated Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Left Heschl's Gyrus in Chronic Tinnitus
Effectiveness of Neuronavigated Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Left Heschl's Gyrus in Chronic Tinnitus
Neuronavigated continuous theta burst stimulation of the left Heschl's gyrus is used to modulate auditory cortex activity and plasticity contributing to the perception and distress of chronic tinnitus.
Tinnitus is the phantom auditory perception of sound in the absence of an external or internal acoustic stimulus. It is a frequent problem which can interfere significantly with the ability to lead a normal life. One significant modulator of tinnitus is stress. Tinnitus has been shown to be generated in the brain, as a result of functional reorganization of auditory neural pathways and the central auditory system. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is also effective in treatment of tinnitus with moderate effect size. Pilot data were positive for low-frequency rTMS applied to the temporal and temporoparietal areas. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) is a new protocol of rTMS with a possible superior effect in contrast to low-frequency rTMS. Also anatomical neuronavigation might increase the efficacy of rTMS due to exact targeting of the primary auditory cortex. Thus, the aim of this study is the evaluation of the clinical efficacy of neuronavigated left-sided cTBS in chronic tinnitus in a randomised sham-controlled two-arm design.
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