Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Tinnitus Patients: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Although transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has already been used to manage tinnitus patients, paucity of reports and variations in protocols preclude a comprehensive understanding. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis based on systemic review to assess effectiveness of tDCS in tinnitus management and to compare stimulation parameters. PubMed was searched for tDCS studies in tinnitus. For randomized controlled trials (RCTs), a meta-analysis was performed. A total of 17 studies were identified and 6 of them were included in the systemic review and 2 RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. Overall 39.5% responded to active tDCS with a mean tinnitus intensity reduction of 13.5%. Additionally, left temporal area (LTA) and bifrontal tDCS indicated comparable results. Active tDCS was found to be more effective than sham tDCS for tinnitus intensity reduction (Hedges' g = .77, 95% confidence interval 0.23–1.31). The efficacy of tDCS in tinnitus could not be fully confirmed by the current study because of the limited number of studies, but all studies included in the current systemic review and meta-analysis demonstrated significant tinnitus intensity improvement. Therefore, tDCS may be a promising tool for tinnitus management. Future RCTs in a large series regarding the efficacy as well as the comparison between LTA- and bifrontal tDCS are recommended.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Refractory Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

“…Research on tDCS has burgeoned during the last 2 decades, and experimental indications for it include depression, [22][23][24] tinnitus, 25 motor paresis in patients with chronic stroke, 26 poststroke aphasia, 27 chronic pain, 28 and other conditions. This procedure has also been used as an investigative tool to study brain functioning.…”

Tinnitus: Diagnosis and treatment options

“…TDCS involves two electrodes sending a low current through the brain. Some studies have shown tinnitus relief after tDCS for 82% [26] of the cohort studied while others have only shown improvement for 39.5% [27]. A study by Rabau et al examined the effect of tDCS in combination with TRT.…”

New Treatment Approaches in Tinnitus: The Place of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

“…However, as a result of empirical and clinical observation trials, it was indicated that the present applications provide only a partial response to the treatment (10). A significant reason of the low success rate of treatment response is that the methods used target developing methods to cope with tinnitus rather than reducing the perception of it (10).…”

“…However, as a result of empirical and clinical observation trials, it was indicated that the present applications provide only a partial response to the treatment (10). A significant reason of the low success rate of treatment response is that the methods used target developing methods to cope with tinnitus rather than reducing the perception of it (10). On the other hand, the lack of a diagnostic method to differentiate objectively the various subforms of tinnitus is considered to be among the greatest obstacles before treatment of tinnitus (10).…”

“…A significant reason of the low success rate of treatment response is that the methods used target developing methods to cope with tinnitus rather than reducing the perception of it (10). On the other hand, the lack of a diagnostic method to differentiate objectively the various subforms of tinnitus is considered to be among the greatest obstacles before treatment of tinnitus (10). The gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) agonist agents are the most frequently used drugs in pharmacological treatment (12).…”