The purpose of this research is to understand how a neurostimulation technique, transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), affects brain function in adults with chronic subjective tinnitus measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). This study targets a specific kind of tES called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), where a mild, constant current is passed between electrodes placed on the scalp.
This is an investigator-initiated MRI study of High Definition (HD) transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) in adults with chronic subjective tinnitus. HDtES is a mild, noninvasive form of brain stimulation using small electrodes to target a small part of the brain/cortex. Primary outcomes are changes in brain function and connectivity measured with MRI before and after a single 20-minute session of HDtES. Secondary outcomes are changes in tinnitus symptoms after 20-minutes of HDtES on 5 consecutive days.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
20
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) uses a mild electrical current to make small (or subtle) changes to how the brain works (or functions).
Center for Translational Imaging at Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Changes in brain functional connectivity.
Functional MRI will measure changes in brain function during tDCS. Specifically, the investigators will measure change in functional connectivity of prefrontal cortex (% change in Fisher's z).
Time frame: immediate
Changes in tinnitus symptoms
Symptoms of tinnitus will be measured before and after 5 sessions of tDCS using the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI). Change in TFI scores will be used as a secondary outcome measure. Score range is 0-100, where low scores indicate low symptoms.
Time frame: 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month
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