Hi Doctor,
Firstly - thank you for your forum. It's fantastic we have the opportunity to speak to somebody who is not only medically qualified, but who intimately understands tinnitus. It sure beats those "google" and internet doctors!
Anyway to my question...
On the surface, rTMS appears to be a highly studied area of treatment for tinnitus. A search alone on clinicaltrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=Rtms+Tinnitus&term=&cntry1=&state1=&SearchAll=Search+all+studies&recrs= reveals over 14 studied (some completed and some ongoing). There is many other articles, and clinical studies performed on the topic which I'm sure you've probably already read :)
Now obviously all studies reliability depend on the robustness and how these were conducted (are they double blinded, randomised placebo for example?!). And potentially many of the studies on topic may not be worth the paper they can be printed on, but there appears to be an overall pattern forming that rTMS does show efficacy over the placebo (albeit around a 50% improvement rate).
Being acutely aware of my own confirmation bias thus attempting to be impartial and open minded on the topic as possible, I ask you based upon what you've written on these forums:
Why do you have the cynicism on rTMS as a treatment for tinnitus now and moving forward?
Firstly - thank you for your forum. It's fantastic we have the opportunity to speak to somebody who is not only medically qualified, but who intimately understands tinnitus. It sure beats those "google" and internet doctors!
Anyway to my question...
On the surface, rTMS appears to be a highly studied area of treatment for tinnitus. A search alone on clinicaltrials.gov https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=Rtms+Tinnitus&term=&cntry1=&state1=&SearchAll=Search+all+studies&recrs= reveals over 14 studied (some completed and some ongoing). There is many other articles, and clinical studies performed on the topic which I'm sure you've probably already read :)
Now obviously all studies reliability depend on the robustness and how these were conducted (are they double blinded, randomised placebo for example?!). And potentially many of the studies on topic may not be worth the paper they can be printed on, but there appears to be an overall pattern forming that rTMS does show efficacy over the placebo (albeit around a 50% improvement rate).
Being acutely aware of my own confirmation bias thus attempting to be impartial and open minded on the topic as possible, I ask you based upon what you've written on these forums:
Why do you have the cynicism on rTMS as a treatment for tinnitus now and moving forward?
Category: Questions and Answers
