Piterà Paolo, Cremascoli Riccardo, Alito Angelo, Bianchi Laura, Galli Federica, Verme Federica, Fontana Jacopo Maria, Bigoni Matteo, Priano Lorenzo, Mauro Alessandro, Capodaglio Paolo
Research Laboratory in Biomechanics, Rehabilitation and Ergonomics, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, San Giuseppe Hospital, 28824 Verbania, Italy.
Unit of Neurophysiology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, San Giuseppe Hospital, 28824 Verbania, Italy.
J Clin Med. 2024 Feb 8;13(4):993. doi: 10.3390/jcm13040993.
Tinnitus, which is often associated with reduced quality of life, depression, and sleep disturbances, lacks a definitive treatment targeting its pathophysiological mechanism. Inflammatory markers like TNF-α have been linked to tinnitus, thereby underlining the necessity for innovative therapies. This case study investigates the potential benefits of a multi-approach rehabilitation intervention involving whole-body cryostimulation (WBC) for a 47-year-old male suffering from chronic neurophysiologic tinnitus, who had underwent various unsuccessful treatments from 2005.
the patient underwent a personalized, multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention covering diet, pharmacotherapy, physiotherapy and physical activity classes tailored to the patient's needs and capacities, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), and whole-body cryostimulation (WBC).
The adjunctive WBC intervention resulted in a significant progressive improvement in tinnitus severity (tinnitus handicap inventory Δ% = -46.3%, VAS tinnitus score Δ% = -40%). Additional positive outcomes were noted in sleep quality (PSQI Δ% = -41.67%), emotional wellbeing (BDI Δ% = -41.2%), and quality of life (SF-36, WHO-5 Δ% = +16.5).
This study supports the existing literature suggesting the potential of WBC as an adjunct in a multi-approach intervention in ameliorating tinnitus severity and tinnitus-associated disorders. However, randomized controlled trials in larger populations, which specifically consider WBC's effects on tinnitus, are necessary to confirm these findings and to explore the mechanisms that underlie the observed improvements.
耳鸣常与生活质量下降、抑郁和睡眠障碍相关，缺乏针对其病理生理机制的明确治疗方法。像肿瘤坏死因子-α这样的炎症标志物已被证明与耳鸣有关，这凸显了创新疗法的必要性。本案例研究调查了一种多方法康复干预措施的潜在益处，该措施包括全身冷刺激（WBC），用于一名患有慢性神经生理性耳鸣的47岁男性，他自2005年以来接受了各种未成功的治疗。
患者接受了个性化的多学科康复干预，包括根据患者需求和能力量身定制的饮食、药物治疗、物理治疗和体育活动课程、重复经颅磁刺激（rTMS）以及全身冷刺激（WBC）。
辅助性全身冷刺激干预使耳鸣严重程度有了显著的逐步改善（耳鸣障碍量表Δ% = -46.3%，视觉模拟量表耳鸣评分Δ% = -40%）。在睡眠质量（匹兹堡睡眠质量指数Δ% = -41.67%）、情绪健康（贝克抑郁量表Δ% = -41.2%）和生活质量（SF-36量表、世界卫生组织-5幸福指数Δ% = +16.5）方面也观察到了其他积极结果。
本研究支持现有文献表明全身冷刺激作为多方法干预辅助手段在改善耳鸣严重程度和耳鸣相关疾病方面的潜力。然而，需要在更大规模人群中进行随机对照试验，专门考虑全身冷刺激对耳鸣的影响，以证实这些发现并探索观察到的改善背后的机制。
