title: Combined temporal and prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation for tinnitus treatment: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the temporal cortex has been proposed as a new treatment strategy for patients with chronic tinnitus. However, functional abnormalities in tinnitus patients also involve brain structures used for attentional and emotional processing, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Therefore, we have developed a new rTMS treatment strategy for tinnitus patients that consists of a combination of high-frequency prefrontal and low-frequency temporal rTMS.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 32 patients received either low-frequency temporal rTMS or a combination of high-frequency prefrontal and low-frequency temporal rTMS. Treatment effects were assessed with a standardized tinnitus questionnaire (TQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Directly after therapy there was an improvement of the TQ-score for both groups, but no differences between groups. An evaluation after 3 months revealed a remarkable benefit from the use of combined prefrontal and temporal rTMS treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support recent data that suggest that auditory and nonauditory brain areas are involved in tinnitus pathophysiology.
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. tobias.kleinjung@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
authors: Tobias
authors: T
authors: Kleinjung
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Eichhammer
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Landgrebe
authors: Philipp
authors: P
authors: Sand
authors: Goeran
authors: G
authors: Hajak
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Steffens
authors: Juergen
authors: J
authors: Strutz
authors: Berthold
authors: B
authors: Langguth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome