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Review
. 2013 Apr;110(16):278-84.
doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2013.0278. Epub 2013 Apr 19.

Chronic tinnitus: an interdisciplinary challenge

Peter M Kreuzer  1 , Veronika Vielsmeier, Berthold Langguth
Affiliations
Review

Chronic tinnitus: an interdisciplinary challenge

Peter M Kreuzer et al. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2013 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Tinnitus is defined as the perception of sound in the absence of a corresponding external acoustic stimulus. It is a common problem that markedly impairs the quality of life of about 1% of the general population.

Methods: We selectively reviewed the pertinent literature to provide an overview of the current treatment options for chronic tinnitus.

Results: Cognitive behavioral therapy is effective and is the best studied of all currently available treatments. All patients should have a therapeutic interview for counseling. Auditory stimulation can also lessen tinnitus: It is used in tinnitus maskers and hearing aids, as well as in tinnitus retraining therapy. An improved understanding of the neural mechanisms of tinnitus has led to the development of innovative techniques of neuromodulation and neurostimulation, but these are still experimental. Drugs are indicated only for the treatment of tinnitus-associated symptoms such as depression, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.

Conclusion: There are many ways to treat chronic tinnitus, and new treatments are now being developed. As tinnitus has many causes and can be associated with many different comorbid disturbances, multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation and treatment are important. For many tinnitus patients, long-term therapeutic success depends on the maintenance of a therapeutic relationship with the treating physician, so that the physician and the patient can work together to give careful consideration to each newly proposed diagnostic test or treatment step.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Neuronal networks in chronic tinnitus Besides altered activity in the auditory system, patients with chronic tinnitus exhibit changes in brain areas with responsibility for affect regulation (amygdala, hippocampus, etc.) and in frontoparietal regions relevant for regulation of attention and for conscious perception. Source: MEGANIM/Gehirn&Geist, reproduced by kind permission of MEGANIM Medical Graphics and Animation, Heidelberg, Germany
Figure 2
Figure 2
Tinnitus: from initial findings to treatment Evidence-based diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm (modified from www.tinnitusresearch.org/en/projects/flowchart_en.php and [e29]). The empirical basis is stronger for behavioral therapy than for neuromodulation/neurostimulation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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