Takahashi Shun, Ukai Satoshi, Tsuji Tomikimi, Ueyama Takashi, Kono Masamitsu, Yamanaka Noboru, Shinosaki Kazuhiro
a Department of Neuropsychiatry , Wakayama Medical University , Wakayama , Japan.
Neurocase. 2015;21(3):339-44. doi: 10.1080/13554794.2014.893000. Epub 2014 Mar 10.
Low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has received increasing attention for the treatment of tinnitus, but its therapeutic mechanisms are unclear. We performed low-frequency rTMS treatment for a patient with chronic tinnitus and examined changes of cortical excitability and cerebral blood flow using paired-pulse TMS and single-photon emission computed tomography. After the rTMS treatment, tinnitus loudness was decreased, cortical excitability was reduced, and blood flow in the thalamus was increased. Our results suggest that low-frequency rTMS treatment reduces tinnitus loudness by an inhibitory effect on the cortical excitability and a remote activation effect on the thalamus through the corticothalamic networks.
低频重复经颅磁刺激（rTMS）在耳鸣治疗方面受到越来越多的关注，但其治疗机制尚不清楚。我们对一名慢性耳鸣患者进行了低频rTMS治疗，并使用配对脉冲TMS和单光子发射计算机断层扫描检查了皮质兴奋性和脑血流量的变化。rTMS治疗后，耳鸣响度降低，皮质兴奋性降低，丘脑血流量增加。我们的结果表明，低频rTMS治疗通过对皮质兴奋性的抑制作用和通过皮质丘脑网络对丘脑的远程激活作用降低耳鸣响度。
