gms | German Medical Science

77th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery

24.05. - 28.05.2006, Mannheim

Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the auditory cortex in tinnitus therapy: Detection of dynamic structural neuroplasticity with voxel based morphometry

Transkranielle Magnetstimulation des auditorischen Cortex zur Tinnitustherapie: Nachweis strukturell neuroplastischer Prozesse mittels Voxel-basierter Morphometrie

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author presenting/speaker Tobias Kleinjung - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
  • author Berthold Langguth - Department of Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
  • author Sabine Braun - Department of Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
  • author Susanne Gänssbauer - Department of Neurology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
  • author Peter Eichhammer - Department of Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
  • author Göran Hajak - Department of Psychiatry, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
  • author Jürgen Strutz - Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany

German Society of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. 77th Annual Meeting of the German Society of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. Mannheim, 24.-28.05.2006. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2006. Doc06hno110

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/hno2006/06hno110.shtml

Published: September 7, 2006

© 2006 Kleinjung et al.
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Outline

Text

Introduction: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) represents a new, minimal invasive tool for focal brain stimulation. Neuronavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation of the area of increased activity within the primary auditory cortex was able to reduce tinnitus perception. Some of these patients had long term improvement of their tinnitus complaints, which could be detected six months after stimulation [1]. The therapeutical success might be reflected in an induction of dynamic neuroplastic processes. We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM), a sophisticated whole brain technique based on high-resolution, three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging to detect subtle, region-specific changes in grey and white matter [2].

Methods: Repetitive TMS to the left auditory cortex (110% motor threshold; 1 Hz; 2000 stimuli/ day over 10 days) was administered to patients suffering from chronic tinnitus. To detect dynamic neuroplastic changes a structural MRI scan (T1, MPRAGE) was performed before and after stimulation. The scans were evaluated based on principles of voxel-based morphometry.

Results: After 2 weeks of rTMS VBM was able to detect structural changes in central auditory regions (left temporal superior gyrus) and associated areas (right parietal region) compared to baseline measurement.

Conclusion: These results might indicate that rTMS is able to induce structural changes in the directly stimulated cortical regions as well as in functionally associated brain regions. These findings might explain the long-term effects of rTMS in therapeutical application, e.g. in tinnitus patients.


References

1.
Kleinjung T, Eichhammer P, Langguth B, Jacob P, Marienhagen J, Hajak G, Wolf SR, Strutz J. Long-term effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with chronic tinnitus. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2005;132:566-9.
2.
May A, Hajak G, Gänssbauer S, Steffens T, Langguth B, Kleinjung T, Eichhammer P. Structural brain alteration following 5 days of intervention: dynamic aspects of neuroplasticity. Cereb Cortex. 2006;Feb15[Epub ahead of print]