NCT03754127

Brief Summary

This randomized, placebo-controlled study will compare the effects of HD-tDCS (a non-invasive neuromodulation technique) with a sham stimulation. In the sham situation, patients will undergo an identical treatment but no stimulation will be applied, allowing to control for placebo effects. This study will assess the effects of HD-tDCS on chronic, non-pulsatile tinnitus in a reliable way, as confounding factors such as anxiety, depression, hearing impairment, tinnitus gradation, age, and sex will be controlled for. Ultimately, this study will result in final recommendations for a standardised protocol for the use of HD-tDCS in tinnitus patients. When accurate, individualised, and effective therapy is available for the patient, the total cost (both economical and personal) will decrease significantly. The investigation's findings will be relevant for all caretakers dealing with tinnitus patients (psychologists, psychiatrists, manual therapists, general practitioners, ENT specialists, audiologists, etc.).

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

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

Enrollment
81

participants targeted

Target at P50-P75 for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 2019

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

November 22, 2018

Completed
5 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

November 27, 2018

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 1, 2019

Completed
3 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

December 22, 2021

Completed
3 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 30, 2022

Completed
Last Updated

July 6, 2022

Status Verified

July 1, 2022

Enrollment Period

3 years

First QC Date

November 22, 2018

Last Update Submit

July 5, 2022

Conditions

Keywords

tinnitustdcsneuromodulationRCT

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Tinnitus Functional Index

    The Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI) is a self-reported questionnaire, consisting of 25 questions, assessing the impact of tinnitus on patients' daily lives. The patient answers each question on a Likert scale ranging from 0 to 10. Questions 1 and 3 are expressed in percentages, and the Likert scale ranges from 0% to 100% (they are transformed to a 0-10 scale). The total score is then calculated as the mean of all questions multiplied by 10 to express this as a number between 0 and 100. In addition to the total score, the score of eight subscales can be determined. The subscales are the following: intrusiveness, reduced sense of control, cognitive interference, sleep disturbance, auditory difficulties attributed to tinnitus, interference with relaxation, reduced quality of life and emotional distress. A decrease of 13 points on the scale is considered as a clinical relevant difference.

    3 months

Secondary Outcomes (10)

  • Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ)

    3 months

  • Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale-12 (SSQ-12)

    3 months

  • Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)

    3 months

  • Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)

    3 months

  • Hyperacusis Questionnaire (HQ)

    3 months

  • +5 more secondary outcomes

Study Arms (2)

Active group

EXPERIMENTAL

tDCS

Device: tDCS

Sham group

SHAM COMPARATOR

Sham tDCS

Device: sham tDCS

Interventions

tDCSDEVICE

Transcranial direct current stimulation

Active group
sham tDCSDEVICE

Sham transcranial direct current stimulation

Sham group

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

  • Duration of tinnitus: \> 6 months
  • \< TFI score \< 90
  • HADS depression subscale \< 12
  • HADS anxiety subscale \< 12
  • Hyperacusis questionnaire \< 40
  • Dutch- or Flemish-speaking

You may not qualify if:

  • Somatic tinnitus
  • Pregnancy
  • Active middle ear pathology
  • Hearing implants
  • Known tumors in the head/neck region
  • Patients having already had any other tinnitus treatment within the last 2 months

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Antwerp University Hospital

Antwerp, Edegem, 2650, Belgium

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Cardon E, Van Rompaey V, Jacquemin L, Mertens G, Vermeersch H, Joossen I, Beyers J, Vanderveken OM, Van de Heyning P, Topsakal V, Gilles A. Sequential dual-site High-Definition transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (HD-tDCS) treatment in chronic subjective tinnitus: study protocol of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Trials. 2019 Aug 1;20(1):471. doi: 10.1186/s13063-019-3594-y.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Tinnitus

Interventions

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Hearing DisordersEar DiseasesOtorhinolaryngologic DiseasesSensation DisordersNeurologic ManifestationsNervous System DiseasesSigns and SymptomsPathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation TherapyTherapeuticsConvulsive TherapyPsychiatric Somatic TherapiesBehavioral Disciplines and ActivitiesElectroshockPsychological Techniques

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
TRIPLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Prof dr Annick Gilles (PhD), principal investigator

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

November 22, 2018

First Posted

November 27, 2018

Study Start

January 1, 2019

Primary Completion

December 22, 2021

Study Completion

March 30, 2022

Last Updated

July 6, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-07

Locations