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NCRAR investigators and staff members facilitate its mission to improve the quality of life of Veterans and others with hearing and balance problems through clinical research, technology development, and education that leads to better patient care. The VA National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR) located at Portland VA Medical Center is one of the Centers of Excellence funded by the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development (RR&D) Service. The study was funded by the VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service. The study, вЂњRepetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment for Chronic Tinnitus: Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial,вЂќ was authored by Folmer, Theodoroff, Linda Casiana, M.S., Yongbing Shi, M.D., Ph.D., Susan Griest, M.P.H., and Jay Vachhani, Au.D.

SOUNDSOURCE OHSU TRIAL

Folmer hopes to conduct a larger clinical trial to refine protocols for the eventual clinical use of TMS for tinnitus. In light of these encouraging results, Dr. A significant number of participants who had tinnitus for more than 20 years were pleased to receive some relief from TMS treatment. To participate in the study, patients were required to have had tinnitus for at least a year or more. Of the 32 participants who received the вЂњactiveвЂќ TMS treatment, 18 people found their symptoms were alleviated for at least six months. Participants underwent TMS sessions on 10 consecutive workdays, receiving 2,000 pulses of TMS per session. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration has approved transcranial magnetic stimulation only for treatment of depression.ДЄll 64 participants enrolled in the study received one pulse of TMS per second to their skull just above the ear to target the auditory cortex in the brain. The higher the stimulation intensity, the deeper the magnetic field can penetrate and affect neural activity. To conduct this research, Folmer and colleagues, including Sarah Theodoroff, Ph.D., used a TMS system that generates a cone-shaped magnetic field that penetrates the scalp and skull to interact with brain tissue. вЂњWe are committed to finding solutions for tinnitus and excited to see the progression of TMS clinical trials producing positive results for some patients.вЂќ The results of the joint National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research/OHSU study are promising for tinnitus patients everywhere,вЂќ said Melanie West, Chair of the American Tinnitus Association's Board of Directors, the premier member-based tinnitus organization. Study participants were a mix of veterans and non-veterans. Tinnitus is the most prevalent service connected disability in the VA health system. Military veterans are at greater risk of developing the condition. So, patients with the condition often develop coping strategies to manage their reaction to tinnitus. Currently, there are no proven treatments available. The distraction can impair peopleвЂ™s ability to sleep or concentrate and is sometimes disabling.ДЄccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 15 percent of Americans experience some degree of tinnitus. People with this audiological and neurological condition hear a persistent sound вЂ“ that can range from ringing or buzzing to a hissing or white noise hum вЂ“ when there is no external sound source. One of the most common health conditions in the country, tinnitus affects nearly 45 million Americans. Folmer, Ph.D., research investigator with the National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research at the VA Portland Health Care System and associate professor of Otolarynology/Head and Neck Surgery in the OHSU School of Medicine. These promising results bring us closer to developing a long-sought treatment for this condition that affects an enormous number of Americans, including many men and women who have served in our armed forces,вЂќ said Robert L. вЂњFor some study participants, this was the first time in years that they experienced any relief in symptoms. Their findings were published today in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology вЂ“ Head & Neck Surgery. clinical trial of its kind funded by the Veterans Affairs (VA) Rehabilitation Research and Development Service, researchers at the VA Portland Medical Center and Oregon Health & Science University found that transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly improved tinnitus symptoms for more than half of study participants.

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