Efficacy Analysis of Personalized-Target Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus: A Single-Center, Single-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

continuous theta burst stimulation: This study evaluates personalized-target and conventional-target transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for the treatment of chronic subjective tinnitus. Participants will receive continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) applied to the left auditory cortex. For the personalized-target arm, stimulation sites are individualized based on resting-state fMRI, targeting the region of strongest functional connectivity with the parahippocampal gyrus. For the conventional-target arm, stimulation is delivered at the CP5 site. Each session consists of 600 pulses, delivered in three sessions per day (1,800 pulses daily) for five consecutive days.

Study summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of personalized-target transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in the treatment of chronic subjective tinnitus. The study aims to determine whether stimulation at individualized auditory cortex targets, identified by resting-state functional MRI, provides greater therapeutic benefit compared with conventional TMS targets.

A total of 116 patients with chronic tinnitus will be recruited and randomly assigned to receive either personalized-target TMS or traditional-target TMS for five consecutive days.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

Does personalized-target TMS improve tinnitus-related symptoms more effectively than traditional-target TMS?

Is personalized-target TMS a safe and tolerable intervention for patients with chronic tinnitus?

Researchers will compare the changes in tinnitus-related clinical rating scales between the two groups, including the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Participants will:

Receive continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) targeting the left auditory cortex region showing the strongest functional connectivity with the parahippocampal gyrus, identified through resting-state fMRI.

Undergo three cTBS sessions per day (600 pulses per session, 1,800 pulses total daily) for five days.

Complete follow-up assessments at 1 month and 3 months after treatment to evaluate the durability of clinical effects.

This study will also assess treatment adherence, safety outcomes, and potential predictors of therapeutic response to personalized-target TMS.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• the effective rate of chronic tinnitus relief in the two groups of patients before treatment and 5 days after treatment — From enrollment to the end of treatment at 5 days
  It is defined as follows: Effective rate = \[(Number of patients in each group who completed the 5-day treatment and had a Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score decrease of ≥ 7 points from the baseline) / (Total number of patients in each group who completed the 5-day treatment)\] × 100%. The assessment time points for this outcome are before treatment (baseline) and 5 days after treatment.

Trial sites (1)

More Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University trials in China

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