Article
Tinnitus suppression by use of lateral inhibition in cochlear implant patients
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Authors
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Eleftherios Savvas
- Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
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Katharina Heslinga
- Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
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Claudia Rudack
- Universitätsklinikum Münster, Münster, Germany
| Published: | February 6, 2019 |
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Outline
Text
Introduction: The purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of tinnitus manipulation on cochlear implant patients with preexisting tinnitus by use of frequency modulation by turning off the pitch-matched electrode in the cochlear implant.
Methods: Individual prospective cohort study
Initially a tinnitus questionnaire was sent to 119 adult cochlear implant patients addressing, in a retrospective manner, tinnitus status before and after cochlear implantation. Patients with persistent tinnitus were asked to take part in the study. 1 pitch-matched electrode corresponding to the tinnitus frequency was turned-off.
Results: Overall, 71.5% of respondents reported an improvement in tinnitus after implantation and rehabilitation. Six patients completed the active part of the study, in these patients there was no significant difference in tinnitus severity based on the THI, TQ and VAS after frequency modulation. Based on the visual analog scale tinnitus improved in loudness and burden.
Discussion: The theory of lateral inhibition applied to cochlear implant patients by eliminating a pitch-matched electrode in the tinnitus frequency may be a further strategy in the therapy of tonal tinnitus in the cochlear implant population.
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