NCT02383147

Brief Summary

Chronic tinnitus affects about 10-15% of the population in industrialized countries. Investigations of the brain activity by using electroencephalography (EEG) showed that in localized regions of the hearing system brain activity was decreased. This reduction of activity is thought to be one of the reasons that keep the perception of the tinnitus going. Recent studies have shown that neurofeedback is a viable option for treatment of chronic tinnitus. By using neurofeedback it is possible to train brain functions by the simple principle of rewarding wanted changes and punishing unwanted ones. The purpose of the investigators study is to show the efficacy of specific localized neurofeedback training in comparison to global relaxing neurofeedback training. In order to achieve decreased tinnitus symptoms or even disappearance of the tinnitus, 15 neurofeedback trainings are planned. Before and up to 6 month after the training EEG-recordings are performed.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
52

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Mar 2015

Typical duration for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

February 18, 2015

Completed
11 days until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

March 1, 2015

Completed
8 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

March 9, 2015

Completed
2.5 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

August 24, 2017

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

August 24, 2017

Completed
Last Updated

October 31, 2017

Status Verified

October 1, 2017

Enrollment Period

2.5 years

First QC Date

February 18, 2015

Last Update Submit

October 30, 2017

Conditions

Keywords

AdultAgedAlpha RhythmAuditory CortexChronicElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleNeurofeedbackProspective StudiesQuestionnairesTinnitusTreatment Outcome

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

  • Change from Baseline in Tinnitus symptoms assessed by questionnaires

    Assessement of the Tinnitus symptoms before and after the Treatment with neurofeedback by different questionnaires tailored for Tinnitus and Quality of life.

    at 1, 3, 6 month follow up

  • Change from Baseline in delta (3-4Hz) and alpha (8-12Hz) frequency band EEG-activity in the auditory cortex

    EEG recordings of the trained frequency bands are compared before and after the Intervention in the named time periods

    at 1, 3, 6 month follow up

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Difference in efficacy between Tomographic Neurofeedback (TONF) and Non Tomographic Neurofeedback (NTE) in treatment of tinnitus assessed by tinnitus questionnaires and frequency band EEG-activity measurements (3-4Hz and 8-12Hz) compared to Baseline.

    at 1, 3, 6 month follow up

Study Arms (2)

Tomographic Neurofeedback (TONF)

EXPERIMENTAL

15x Neurofeedback Trainings, 1-2 times per week

Device: Tomographic Neurofeedback

Non Tomographic Neurofeedback (NTE)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

15x Neurofeedback Trainings, 1-2 times per week

Device: Non Tomographic Neurofeedback

Interventions

EEG-Electrodes are placed on the patients head to record the brain activity, EEG-recordings are processed by the standardized Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography algorithm (sLORETA) to calculate the frequency spectrum in the auditory cortex and deliver feedback for the patient

Tomographic Neurofeedback (TONF)

EEG-electrodes are placed on the patients head, but only 4 electrodes (Fc1, Fc2, F3 and F4 of a 10-10 EEG-system) record the surface activity and generate the feedback for the patient.

Non Tomographic Neurofeedback (NTE)

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 75 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Age 18-75
  • Chronic Tinnitus \> 0.5 years
  • Informed Consent
  • Fluent in German language

You may not qualify if:

  • Psychological and neurological disorders other than tinnitus
  • Drug- or Alcohol abuse
  • Tranquilizer, antiepileptic drugs, antipsychotics or anesthetics intake
  • Impairing hearing loss or Cochlea Implant

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University Hospital Zurich, Division of Otorhinolaryngology ORL

Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8091, Switzerland

Location

Related Publications (5)

  • Dohrmann K, Weisz N, Schlee W, Hartmann T, Elbert T. Neurofeedback for treating tinnitus. Prog Brain Res. 2007;166:473-85. doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(07)66046-4.

    PMID: 17956812BACKGROUND
  • Crocetti A, Forti S, Del Bo L. Neurofeedback for subjective tinnitus patients. Auris Nasus Larynx. 2011 Dec;38(6):735-8. doi: 10.1016/j.anl.2011.02.003. Epub 2011 May 17.

    PMID: 21592701BACKGROUND
  • Hartmann T, Lorenz I, Muller N, Langguth B, Weisz N. The effects of neurofeedback on oscillatory processes related to tinnitus. Brain Topogr. 2014 Jan;27(1):149-57. doi: 10.1007/s10548-013-0295-9. Epub 2013 May 23.

    PMID: 23700271BACKGROUND
  • Riha C, Guntensperger D, Oschwald J, Kleinjung T, Meyer M. Application of Latent Growth Curve modeling to predict individual trajectories during neurofeedback treatment for tinnitus. Prog Brain Res. 2021;263:109-136. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2021.04.013. Epub 2021 May 20.

  • Guntensperger D, Thuring C, Kleinjung T, Neff P, Meyer M. Investigating the Efficacy of an Individualized Alpha/Delta Neurofeedback Protocol in the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus. Neural Plast. 2019 Mar 26;2019:3540898. doi: 10.1155/2019/3540898. eCollection 2019.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

TinnitusBronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Hearing DisordersEar DiseasesOtorhinolaryngologic DiseasesSensation DisordersNeurologic ManifestationsNervous System DiseasesSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and SymptomsOrganizing PneumoniaBronchiolitis ObliteransBronchiolitisBronchitisBronchial DiseasesRespiratory Tract DiseasesLung Diseases, ObstructiveLung DiseasesGraft vs Host DiseaseImmune System Diseases

Study Officials

  • Tobias Kleinjung

    ENT-Department, University Hospital Zurich

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

February 18, 2015

First Posted

March 9, 2015

Study Start

March 1, 2015

Primary Completion

August 24, 2017

Study Completion

August 24, 2017

Last Updated

October 31, 2017

Record last verified: 2017-10

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Locations