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Guzzi G, Della Torre A, Bruni A, Lavano A, Bosco V, Garofalo E, La Torre D, Longhini F. Anatomo-physiological basis and applied techniques of electrical neuromodulation in chronic pain. JOURNAL OF ANESTHESIA, ANALGESIA AND CRITICAL CARE 2024; 4:29. [PMID: 38698460 PMCID: PMC11064427 DOI: 10.1186/s44158-024-00167-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Chronic pain, a complex and debilitating condition, poses a significant challenge to both patients and healthcare providers worldwide. Conventional pharmacological interventions often prove inadequate in delivering satisfactory relief while carrying the risks of addiction and adverse reactions. In recent years, electric neuromodulation emerged as a promising alternative in chronic pain management. This method entails the precise administration of electrical stimulation to specific nerves or regions within the central nervous system to regulate pain signals. Through mechanisms that include the alteration of neural activity and the release of endogenous pain-relieving substances, electric neuromodulation can effectively alleviate pain and improve patients' quality of life. Several modalities of electric neuromodulation, with a different grade of invasiveness, provide tailored strategies to tackle various forms and origins of chronic pain. Through an exploration of the anatomical and physiological pathways of chronic pain, encompassing neurotransmitter involvement, this narrative review offers insights into electrical therapies' mechanisms of action, clinical utility, and future perspectives in chronic pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusy Guzzi
- Neurosurgery Department, "R. Dulbecco" Hospital, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Attilio Della Torre
- Neurosurgery Department, "R. Dulbecco" Hospital, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Andrea Bruni
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, "R. Dulbecco" Univesity Hospital, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University, Viale Europa, Catanzaro, 88100, Italy
| | - Angelo Lavano
- Neurosurgery Department, "R. Dulbecco" Hospital, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Bosco
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, "R. Dulbecco" Univesity Hospital, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University, Viale Europa, Catanzaro, 88100, Italy
| | - Eugenio Garofalo
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, "R. Dulbecco" Univesity Hospital, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University, Viale Europa, Catanzaro, 88100, Italy
| | - Domenico La Torre
- Neurosurgery Department, "R. Dulbecco" Hospital, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Federico Longhini
- Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, "R. Dulbecco" Univesity Hospital, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University, Viale Europa, Catanzaro, 88100, Italy.
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Schoisswohl S, Kanig C, Osnabruegge M, Agboada D, Langguth B, Rethwilm R, Hebel T, Abdelnaim MA, Mack W, Seiberl W, Kuder M, Schecklmann M. Monitoring Changes in TMS-Evoked EEG and EMG Activity During 1 Hz rTMS of the Healthy Motor Cortex. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0309-23.2024. [PMID: 38565296 PMCID: PMC11015949 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0309-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique capable of inducing neuroplasticity as measured by changes in peripheral muscle electromyography (EMG) or electroencephalography (EEG) from pre-to-post stimulation. However, temporal courses of neuromodulation during ongoing rTMS are unclear. Monitoring cortical dynamics via TMS-evoked responses using EMG (motor-evoked potentials; MEPs) and EEG (transcranial-evoked potentials; TEPs) during rTMS might provide further essential insights into its mode of action - temporal course of potential modulations. The objective of this study was to first evaluate the validity of online rTMS-EEG and rTMS-EMG analyses, and second to scrutinize the temporal changes of TEPs and MEPs during rTMS. As rTMS is subject to high inter-individual effect variability, we aimed for single-subject analyses of EEG changes during rTMS. Ten healthy human participants were stimulated with 1,000 pulses of 1 Hz rTMS over the motor cortex, while EEG and EMG were recorded continuously. Validity of MEPs and TEPs measured during rTMS was assessed in sensor and source space. Electrophysiological changes during rTMS were evaluated with model fitting approaches on a group- and single-subject level. TEPs and MEPs appearance during rTMS was consistent with past findings of single pulse experiments. Heterogeneous temporal progressions, fluctuations or saturation effects of brain activity were observed during rTMS depending on the TEP component. Overall, global brain activity increased over the course of stimulation. Single-subject analysis revealed inter-individual temporal courses of global brain activity. The present findings are in favor of dose-response considerations and attempts in personalization of rTMS protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schoisswohl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Human Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85579 Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Carolina Kanig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Human Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85579 Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Mirja Osnabruegge
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Human Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85579 Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Desmond Agboada
- Department of Human Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85579 Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Berthold Langguth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Roman Rethwilm
- Department of Human Sciences, Institute of Sport Science, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85579 Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Tobias Hebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Mohamed A Abdelnaim
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Mack
- Department of Human Sciences, Institute of Psychology, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85579 Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Seiberl
- Department of Human Sciences, Institute of Sport Science, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85579 Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Manuel Kuder
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Universität der Bundeswehr München, 85579 Neubiberg, Germany
| | - Martin Schecklmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
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Jeon SY, Choi JH, Kang SS, An YH, Shim HJ. Personalized Neuromodulation: A Novel Strategy for Improving Tinnitus Treatment. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6987. [PMID: 38002601 PMCID: PMC10672003 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12226987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
This study evaluated the efficacy of personalized neuromodulation, where treatment modalities are chosen based on the patient's responses in a pilot trial. A total of 71 patients with tinnitus were divided into two groups: a personalized group and a randomized neuromodulation group. In the personalized group (n = 35), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) were assessed in a pilot trial, and responsive modalities were administered to 16 patients, while the non-responders (n = 19) were randomly assigned to rTMS, tDCS, or combined modalities. Patients in the randomized group (n = 36) were randomly allocated to rTMS, tDCS, or combined modalities. The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score improvement after 10 sessions of each neuromodulation was significantly greater in the personalized group than in the randomized group (p = 0.043), with no significant differences in tinnitus loudness, distress, or awareness. The treatment success rate was highest in the personalized responder subgroup (92.3%), and significantly greater than that in the non-responder subgroup (53.0%; p = 0.042) and the randomized group (56.7%; p = 0.033). Personalized neuromodulation, where the treatment modality is chosen based on the patient's responses in a pilot trial, is an advantageous strategy for treating tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hyun Joon Shim
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Nowon Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul 01830, Republic of Korea; (S.Y.J.); (J.H.C.); (S.S.K.); (Y.-H.A.)
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Schoisswohl S, Langguth B, Hebel T, Vielsmeier V, Abdelnaim MA, Schecklmann M. Personalization of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Subjective Tinnitus. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020203. [PMID: 35203965 PMCID: PMC8870254 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Personalization of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for tinnitus might be capable to overcome the heterogeneity of treatment responses. The assessment of loudness changes after short rTMS protocols in test sessions has been proposed as a strategy to identify the best protocol for the daily treatment application. However, the therapeutic advantages of this approach are currently not clear. The present study was designed to further investigate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of personalized rTMS as compared to a standardized rTMS protocol used for tinnitus. Methods: RTMS personalization was conducted via test sessions and reliable, sham-superior responses respectively short-term reductions in tinnitus loudness following active rTMS protocols (1, 10, 20 Hz, each 200 pulses) applied over the left and right temporal cortex. Twenty pulses at a frequency of 0.1 Hz served as a control condition (sham). In case of a response, patients were randomly allocated to ten treatment sessions of either personalized rTMS (2000 pulses with the site and frequency producing the most pronounced loudness reduction during test sessions) or standard rTMS (1 Hz, 2000 pulses left temporal cortex). Those participants who did not show a response during the test sessions received the standard protocol as well. Results: The study was terminated prematurely after 22 patients (instead of 50 planned) as the number of test session responders was much lower than expected (27% instead of 50%). Statistical evaluation of changes in metric tinnitus variables and treatment responses indicated only numerical, but not statistical superiority for personalized rTMS compared to standard treatment. Conclusions: The current stage of investigation does not allow for a clear conclusion about the therapeutic advantages of personalized rTMS for tinnitus based on test session responses. The feasibility of this approach is primarily limited by the low test session response rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Schoisswohl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (B.L.); (T.H.); (M.A.A.)
- Department of Psychology, Bundeswehr University Munich, 85577 Neubiberg, Germany
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (M.S.)
| | - Berthold Langguth
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (B.L.); (T.H.); (M.A.A.)
| | - Tobias Hebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (B.L.); (T.H.); (M.A.A.)
| | - Veronika Vielsmeier
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany;
| | - Mohamed A. Abdelnaim
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (B.L.); (T.H.); (M.A.A.)
| | - Martin Schecklmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany; (B.L.); (T.H.); (M.A.A.)
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (M.S.)
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Voytenkov VB, Ekusheva EV, Bedova MA, Komazov AA. [Transcranial magnetic stimulation for tinnitus treatment]. VOPROSY KURORTOLOGII, FIZIOTERAPII, I LECHEBNOĬ FIZICHESKOĬ KULTURY 2021; 98:74-79. [PMID: 34719911 DOI: 10.17116/kurort20219805174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
High prevalence of tinnitus, its negative influence on the quality of life and psychoemotional status of patients support need and extreme urgency of further research of various treatment methods. Rhythmic transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is an effective method of therapy in patients with chronic tinnitus. The optimal protocol for rhythmic stimulation is low-frequency (1 Hz) rTMS with low-intensity stimuli (below 110% of the motor threshold) with a limited number of stimuli per series. There is evidence that high-frequency rTMS in the area of relatively thin temporal bones can lead to excessive stimulation of the neural structures of the auditory cortex, which is undesirable considering the pathogenesis of this condition. The use of navigation technology in rTMS has no advantage in chronic tinnitus therapy, whereas the combined use of rTMS and transcranial electrical brain stimulation to increase the treatment efficacy is under active study. Considering the attributable favorable clinical safety profile of rTMS, as well as its known positive effects on anxiety and depression that are often seen in patients with tinnitus, we can recommend more widespread use of this method in real-world settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- V B Voytenkov
- Research and Clinical Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Academy of Postgraduate Education under the Federal State Budgetary Unit «Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Specialized Medical Assistance and Medical Technologies of the Federal Medical Biological Agency», Moscow, Russia.,Federal Scientific Center of Rehabilitation of the Disabled named after G.A. Albrecht, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - E V Ekusheva
- Academy of Postgraduate Education under the Federal State Budgetary Unit «Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Specialized Medical Assistance and Medical Technologies of the Federal Medical Biological Agency», Moscow, Russia.,Belgorod State University, Belgorod, Russia
| | - M A Bedova
- Research and Clinical Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - A A Komazov
- Academy of Postgraduate Education under the Federal State Budgetary Unit «Federal Scientific and Clinical Center for Specialized Medical Assistance and Medical Technologies of the Federal Medical Biological Agency», Moscow, Russia.,Belgorod State University, Belgorod, Russia
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Simoes JP, Daoud E, Shabbir M, Amanat S, Assouly K, Biswas R, Casolani C, Dode A, Enzler F, Jacquemin L, Joergensen M, Kok T, Liyanage N, Lourenco M, Makani P, Mehdi M, Ramadhani AL, Riha C, Santacruz JL, Schiller A, Schoisswohl S, Trpchevska N, Genitsaridi E. Multidisciplinary Tinnitus Research: Challenges and Future Directions From the Perspective of Early Stage Researchers. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:647285. [PMID: 34177549 PMCID: PMC8225955 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.647285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Tinnitus can be a burdensome condition on both individual and societal levels. Many aspects of this condition remain elusive, including its underlying mechanisms, ultimately hindering the development of a cure. Interdisciplinary approaches are required to overcome long-established research challenges. This review summarizes current knowledge in various tinnitus-relevant research fields including tinnitus generating mechanisms, heterogeneity, epidemiology, assessment, and treatment development, in an effort to highlight the main challenges and provide suggestions for future research to overcome them. Four common themes across different areas were identified as future research direction: (1) Further establishment of multicenter and multidisciplinary collaborations; (2) Systematic reviews and syntheses of existing knowledge; (3) Standardization of research methods including tinnitus assessment, data acquisition, and data analysis protocols; (4) The design of studies with large sample sizes and the creation of large tinnitus-specific databases that would allow in-depth exploration of tinnitus heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Piano Simoes
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Elza Daoud
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Maryam Shabbir
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sana Amanat
- Otology & Neurotology Group CTS 495, Department of Genomic Medicine, GENYO - Centre for Genomics and Oncological Research Pfizer/University of Granada/Junta de Andalucía, PTS, Granada, Spain
| | - Kelly Assouly
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Cochlear Technology Centre, Mechelen, Belgium
| | - Roshni Biswas
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Laboratory of Lifestyle Epidemiology, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Casolani
- Hearing Systems, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- Oticon A/S, Smoerum, Denmark
- Interacoustics Research Unit, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Albi Dode
- Institute of Databases and Information Systems, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Falco Enzler
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
| | - Laure Jacquemin
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Antwerp University, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Mie Joergensen
- Hearing Systems, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
- WS Audiology, Lynge, Denmark
| | - Tori Kok
- Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nuwan Liyanage
- University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matheus Lourenco
- Experimental Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Health Psychology Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Punitkumar Makani
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Research School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Muntazir Mehdi
- Institute of Distributed Systems, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Anissa L. Ramadhani
- Radiological Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Constanze Riha
- Chair of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jose Lopez Santacruz
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
- Graduate School of Medical Sciences (Research School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences), University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Axel Schiller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Schoisswohl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Natalia Trpchevska
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Experimental Audiology Laboratory, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eleni Genitsaridi
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, National Institute for Health Research, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Heading for Personalized rTMS in Tinnitus: Reliability of Individualized Stimulation Protocols in Behavioral and Electrophysiological Responses. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11060536. [PMID: 34207847 PMCID: PMC8226921 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11060536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation tool potentially modulating pathological brain activity. Its clinical effectiveness is hampered by varying results and characterized by inter-individual variability in treatment responses. RTMS individualization might constitute a useful strategy to overcome this variability. A precondition for this approach would be that repeatedly applied protocols result in reliable effects. The condition tinnitus provides the advantage of immediate behavioral consequences (tinnitus loudness changes) after interventions and thus offers an excellent model to exemplify TMS personalization. Objective: The aim was to investigate the test–retest reliability of short rTMS stimulations in modifying tinnitus loudness and oscillatory brain activity as well as to examine the feasibility of rTMS individualization in tinnitus. Methods: Three short verum (1, 10, 20 Hz; 200 pulses) and one sham (0.1 Hz; 20 pulses) rTMS protocol were administered on two different days in 22 tinnitus patients. Before and after each protocol, oscillatory brain activity was recorded with electroencephalography (EEG), together with behavioral tinnitus loudness ratings. RTMS individualization was executed on the basis of behavioral and electrophysiological responses. Stimulation responders were identified via consistent sham-superior increases in tinnitus loudness (behavioral responders) and alpha power increases or gamma power decreases (alpha responders/gamma responders) in accordance with the prevalent neurophysiological models for tinnitus. Results: It was feasible to identify individualized rTMS protocols featuring reliable tinnitus loudness changes (55% behavioral responder), alpha increases (91% alpha responder) and gamma decreases (100% gamma responder), respectively. Alpha responses primary occurred over parieto-occipital areas, whereas gamma responses mainly appeared over frontal regions. On the contrary, test–retest correlation analyses per protocol at a group level were not significant neither for behavioral nor for electrophysiological effects. No associations between behavioral and EEG responses were found. Conclusion: RTMS individualization via behavioral and electrophysiological data in tinnitus can be considered as a feasible approach to overcome low reliability at the group level. The present results open the discussion favoring personalization utilizing neurophysiological markers rather than behavioral responses. These insights are not only useful for the rTMS treatment of tinnitus but also for neuromodulation interventions in other pathologies, as our results suggest that the individualization of stimulation protocols is feasible despite absent group-level reliability.
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