Epidural cortical stimulation for the treatment of chronic resistant tinnitus

Introduction: Tinnitus is a distressing symptom affecting 15% of the adult population for whom no satisfactory treatment exists. It is associated with pathological neural activity in the central auditory system, possibly resulting from suboptimal or maladaptive response to a peripheral lesion. Although the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood, it can be considered as an auditory phantom phenomenon similar to deafferentation pain for the somatosensory system. For this reason, a few studies evaluated the role of epidural cortical stimulation (ECS) in the treatment of tinnitus, with mixed results.
Source: BRAIN STIMULATION: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research