title: Neuronavigated rTMS in a patient with chronic tinnitus. Effects of 4 weeks treatment.
abstract: Clinical, neurophysiological and neuroimaging data suggest that chronic tinnitus resembles neuropsychiatric syndromes characterised by focal brain activation. Low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been proposed as an efficient method in treating brain hyperexcitability disorders. In one patient suffering from chronic tinnitus, [18F]deoxyglucose PET revealed increased metabolic activity in a circumscript area of the left primary auditory cortex (PAC). The effect of MRI and PET guided neuronavigated 1 Hz rTMS of this area was evaluated in a single-blind, sham-controlled, cross-over manner, followed by a 4-week open treatment. Following active stimulation there was a remarkable effect, enduring several weeks, on tinnitus sensation, which was paralleled by altered cortical excitability. These findings suggest that neuronavigated rTMS of increased PAC activity might offer a new option for treating auditory phantom perceptions like chronic tinnitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Germany. berthold.langguth@bkr-regensburg.de
authors.forename: Berthold
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langguth
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Eichhammer
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wiegand
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marienhegen
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maenner
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hajak
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D038361:Neuronavigation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*