title: Cochlear implantation as a durable tinnitus treatment in single-sided deafness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Severe tinnitus can seriously impair patients in their activities in daily life and reduce their quality of life. The aims of this prospective clinical study were to assess the long-term effects of cochlear implantation (CI) on tinnitus in patients with single-sided deafness and ipsilateral incapacitating tinnitus, and to investigate whether CI could treat various types of tinnitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six subjects with unilateral severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss received a CI. Patients suffered from severe tinnitus greater than 6/10 on a visual analogue scale (VAS) due to unilateral deafness. Assessment consisted of a tinnitus analysis including determination of tinnitus type, frequency, and loudness. A tinnitus questionnaire (TQ) measured tinnitus distress. VAS and TQ were administered pre-implantation and post-implantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 26 patients reported a subjective benefit from CI. Tinnitus loudness reduced significantly after CI from 8.6 to 2.2 on the VAS (scale: 0-10). The TQ total score decreased significantly and the mean tinnitus degree decreased from severe to mild. No differences were observed between patients with pure-tone tinnitus, narrow band noise tinnitus, or polyphonic tinnitus. The degree of tinnitus loudness reduction remained stable after CI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CI can successfully be used as treatment of severe tinnitus in patients with single-sided deafness and is equally effective for pure tone, narrow band noise, and polyphonic tinnitus. Long-term results show that implantation provides durable tinnitus relief in these patients. These results support the hypothesis that physiopathological mechanisms after peripheral deafferentation are reversible when hearing is restored. Single-sided deafness accompanied by severe tinnitus is a new indication for CI.
authors.affiliation: University Department Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, University of Antwerp, Belgium.
authors.forename: Andrea Kleine
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Punte
authors.forename: Katrien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vermeire
authors.forename: Anouk
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofkens
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Bodt
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Ridder
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van de Heyning
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D046088:Hearing Loss, Unilateral / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome