Treatment: Pharmacological, rTMS, Epidural and Deep Brain Stimulation"

LANGGUTH B; DE RIDDER D; KLEINJUNG T; ELGOYHEN AB

Tinnitus (Springer Handbook of Auditory Research)

Sringer

Lugar: New York; Año: 2012; p. 255 - 289

Tinnitus is a common disorder and traditional treatment approaches such as medication, active or passive sound enhancement and cognitive behavioral therapy have limited efficacy, thus there is an urgent need for more effective treatment approaches. Functional imaging studies in tinnitus patients have revealed alterations in neuronal activity of central auditory pathways probably resulting as a consequence of sensory deafferentation. However, also non-auditory brain areas are involved. These non-auditory brain areas might represent an ‘awareness’ network involved in the conscious perception of the tinnitus signal, whereas other areas might relate to  a non-tinnitus-specific distress network consisting of the anterior cingulated cortex, anterior insula and amygdale. Moreover memory mechanisms involving the hippocampus and the parahippocampal region may play a role in the persistence of the awareness of the phantom percept, as well as in the reinforcement of the associated distress. All these networks represent potential targets for treatment via pharmaceutical compounds or non-invasive and invasive brain stimulation.