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Tinnitus, SubjectiveNCT02383147

Efficacy Study for Development and Use of Neurofeedback-trainings for Patients Suffering From Chronic Tinnitus

A study testing Tomographic Neurofeedback and Non Tomographic Neurofeedback in people with Tinnitus, Subjective, run by University of Zurich at 1 site in Switzerland.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Chronic tinnitus affects about 10-15% of the population in industrialized countries. Investigations of the brain activity by using electroencephalography (EEG) showed that in localized regions of the hearing system brain activity was decreased. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 75 years
Conditions the study is for
Tinnitus, Subjective
What is being tested?
Tomographic Neurofeedback and Non Tomographic Neurofeedback
Type of treatment
Medical device
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
52 participants
Where
1 siteSwitzerland
Study dates
Mar 2015to 24 Aug 2017
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 75 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 18-75
  • Chronic Tinnitus > 0.5 years
  • Informed Consent
  • Fluent in German language

Who cannot join

  • Psychological and neurological disorders other than tinnitus
  • Drug- or Alcohol abuse
  • Tranquilizer, antiepileptic drugs, antipsychotics or anesthetics intake
  • Impairing hearing loss or Cochlea Implant

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Switzerland1 site
  • University Hospital Zurich, Division of Otorhinolaryngology ORL

    Zurich, Canton of Zurich, 8091

Other trials in Switzerland

About this study

Official title: A Monocentric Study for Development and Use of Tomographic Neurofeedback Protocols for Patients Suffering From Chronic Tinnitus

Chronic tinnitus affects about 10-15% of the population in industrialized countries. Investigations of the brain activity by using electroencephalography (EEG) showed that in localized regions of the hearing system brain activity was decreased. This reduction of activity is thought to be one of the reasons that keep the perception of the tinnitus going. Recent studies have shown that neurofeedback is a viable option for treatment of chronic tinnitus. By using neurofeedback it is possible to train brain functions by the simple principle of rewarding wanted changes and punishing unwanted ones. The purpose of the investigators study is to show the efficacy of specific localized neurofeedback training in comparison to global relaxing neurofeedback training. In order to achieve decreased tinnitus symptoms or even disappearance of the tinnitus, 15 neurofeedback trainings are planned. Before and up to 6 month after the training EEG-recordings are performed.

Being tested
Tomographic Neurofeedback, Non Tomographic Neurofeedback
Keywords
Adult, Aged, Alpha Rhythm, Auditory Cortex, Chronic, Electroencephalography, Female, Humans, Male, Neurofeedback, Prospective Studies, Questionnaires, Tinnitus, Treatment Outcome
Medical subject headings
Tinnitus, Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Tomographic NeurofeedbackDevice

    EEG-Electrodes are placed on the patients head to record the brain activity, EEG-recordings are processed by the standardized Low Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography algorithm (sLORETA) to calculate the frequency spectrum in the auditory cortex and deliver feedback for the patient

  • Non Tomographic NeurofeedbackDevice

    EEG-electrodes are placed on the patients head, but only 4 electrodes (Fc1, Fc2, F3 and F4 of a 10-10 EEG-system) record the surface activity and generate the feedback for the patient.

Study groups in NCT02383147
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Tomographic Neurofeedback (TONF)Experimental15x Neurofeedback Trainings, 1-2 times per week
Receives: Device: Tomographic Neurofeedback
Non Tomographic Neurofeedback (NTE)Active comparator15x Neurofeedback Trainings, 1-2 times per week
Receives: Device: Non Tomographic Neurofeedback

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change from Baseline in Tinnitus symptoms assessed by questionnaires

    Assessement of the Tinnitus symptoms before and after the Treatment with neurofeedback by different questionnaires tailored for Tinnitus and Quality of life.

    Measured: at 1, 3, 6 month follow up

  2. Change from Baseline in delta (3-4Hz) and alpha (8-12Hz) frequency band EEG-activity in the auditory cortex

    EEG recordings of the trained frequency bands are compared before and after the Intervention in the named time periods

    Measured: at 1, 3, 6 month follow up

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Difference in efficacy between Tomographic Neurofeedback (TONF) and Non Tomographic Neurofeedback (NTE) in treatment of tinnitus assessed by tinnitus questionnaires and frequency band EEG-activity measurements (3-4Hz and 8-12Hz) compared to Baseline.

    Investigation if there is a significant benefit in the TONF Group, compared to the non tomographic Group.

    Measured: at 1, 3, 6 month follow up

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted9 Mar 2015 (estimated)
  2. Study startMar 2015
  3. Primary completion24 Aug 2017
  4. Study completion24 Aug 2017

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Participant
Enrolment
52 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02383147
Sponsor's protocol ID
USZ-ORL-KT-001
Status last verified
Oct 2017
First submitted
18 Feb 2015
Last updated
31 Oct 2017
Results posted
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Dohrmann K, Weisz N, Schlee W, Hartmann T, Elbert T. Neurofeedback for treating tinnitus. Prog Brain Res. 2007;166:473-85. doi: 10.1016/S0079-6123(07)66046-4.

    PubMed 17956812
  • Crocetti A, Forti S, Del Bo L. Neurofeedback for subjective tinnitus patients. Auris Nasus Larynx. 2011 Dec;38(6):735-8. doi: 10.1016/j.anl.2011.02.003. Epub 2011 May 17.

    PubMed 21592701
  • Hartmann T, Lorenz I, Muller N, Langguth B, Weisz N. The effects of neurofeedback on oscillatory processes related to tinnitus. Brain Topogr. 2014 Jan;27(1):149-57. doi: 10.1007/s10548-013-0295-9. Epub 2013 May 23.

    PubMed 23700271
  • Riha C, Guntensperger D, Oschwald J, Kleinjung T, Meyer M. Application of Latent Growth Curve modeling to predict individual trajectories during neurofeedback treatment for tinnitus. Prog Brain Res. 2021;263:109-136. doi: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2021.04.013. Epub 2021 May 20.

    PubMed 34243885
  • Guntensperger D, Thuring C, Kleinjung T, Neff P, Meyer M. Investigating the Efficacy of an Individualized Alpha/Delta Neurofeedback Protocol in the Treatment of Chronic Tinnitus. Neural Plast. 2019 Mar 26;2019:3540898. doi: 10.1155/2019/3540898. eCollection 2019.

    PubMed 31049052

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Tomographic Neurofeedback and Non Tomographic Neurofeedback in people with Tinnitus, Subjective, run by University of Zurich at 1 site in Switzerland.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 31 Oct 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Switzerland. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change from Baseline in Tinnitus symptoms assessed by questionnaires (time frame: at 1, 3, 6 month follow up). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02383147, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 31 Oct 2017.

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