Positives emerge from magnetic stimulation in Finnish tinnitus trials
Tinnitus
Finnish researchers from Turku University Hospital have seen promise in a new tinnitus approach, after 10 out of 13 patients observed an average 39 to 45 percent decrease in their symptoms from receiving magnetic stimulation.
Half a million people in Finland and 10-15 percent of the world’s population suffer from tinnitus, but new help in combating the sensation a variety of noises ‘heard’ by these patients may be offered by trials carried out as part of a doctoral thesis by ENT specialist Hanna Sahlsten. Her published work featured the outcome of a small-scale trial using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive technique employing magnetic fields to create specifically-directed electrical currents. The greatest efficacy of this technique was achieved on those with severe tinnitus, pointed out Sahlsten.
TMS is used to treat depression, and Dr. Sahlsten observed the possibility that depressive symptoms experienced by tinnitus sufferers may also be alleviated by the technique. More research is needed, said the specialist.
Source: Yle Uutiset (Finland)
