Neuronavigated left temporal continuous theta burst stimulation in chronic tinnitus.

Purpose: Clinical effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in chronic tinnitus are moderate. More precise coil localisation strategies, innovative stimulation protocols, and identification of predictors for treatment response were proposed as promising attempts to enhance treatment efficacy. In this pilot study we investigated neuronavigated continuous theta burst TMS (cTBS).

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy to probe state- and trait-like conditions in chronic tinnitus: a proof-of-principle study.

Objective: Several neuroscience tools showed the involvement of auditory cortex in chronic tinnitus. In this proof-of-principle study we probed the capability of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) for the measurement of brain oxygenation in auditory cortex in dependence from chronic tinnitus and from intervention with transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Methods: Twenty-three patients received continuous theta burst stimulation over the left primary auditory cortex in a randomized sham-controlled neuronavigated trial (verum = 12; placebo = 11).