Article

The perception of sound in the absence of an external sound is
tinnitus. Tinnitus can have a severe negative impact on quality of life.
Objective. This trial investigated whether multisession anodal transcranial
direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the left temporoparietal area would enhance
sound therapy from hearing aids. Methods. Forty participants (mean age = 54
years) experiencing chronic tinnitus (minimum 2 years) completed a 7-month long
double-blind randomized clinical trial. Participants were randomized into 2
groups: control receiving sham tDCS and experimental receiving tDCS. Each group
underwent multisession (5 consecutive sessions with 24-hour gap) anodal tDCS (2
mA intensity and 20 minutes duration) of the left temporoparietal area, followed
by hearing aid use for 6 months. The impact of tDCS and hearing aid use on
tinnitus was assessed using questionnaires (primary measure: Tinnitus Functional
Index) and minimum masking level measurement. Results. There was a significant
reduction in the overall Tinnitus Functional Index score with time, F(2, 37) =
11.9, P = .0001, for both the groups. Similar patterns were seen for secondary
measures. tDCS appeared to have a positive effect on minimum masking levels but
not questionnaire responses. Conclusions. After 3 months of hearing aid use,
there were significant improvements in tinnitus, which were sustained at 6 months
of use. The hearing aid effects appeared independent of tDCS. Further
investigations of tDCS or other neuromodulators priming the auditory system for
sound therapy based tinnitus treatments are warranted.
CI - (c) The Author(s) 2013.
- Bourdonnement oreille

Langue : ANGLAIS