Vol.98No.11contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 98 No. 11 November 2005
Inhibition of Tinnitus Obtained by Stimulation
of the Mandibular Branch of the Facial Nerve
Isei Satoh
(Satoh ENT Clinic)
This study was performed to investigate the idea inhibition of tinnitus by blocking abnormal afferent impulses, which cause tinnitus in the cochlear nerve, from comparatively peripheral regions of the auditory tract. Frequent stimulations were given transcutaneously on the Ramus marginalis mandibular of the facial nerve in 91 cases of tinnitus who experienced noise within ear, and 30 cases who experienced noise in the head or who experienced noise in a region except the ear. Every one of these patients had suffered from an unpleasant feeling every day for more than 6 months. Results were as follows:
1. A subjective improvement was observed in 89.0％ of patients with tinnitus, and not observed in 93.3％ of patients who experienced noise in head.
2. Improvement in tests for the patients with tinnitus was demonstrated in 88.7％ of cases by tinnitus masking carves, and in 67.8％ of cases by loudness balance tests.
3. The subjective improvement of tinnitus obtained by frequent stimulations is experienced as not only a reduction of loudness, but sensuous changes such as the thinning or softening of sound, or the scattering of sound.
4. 81.1％ of patients with tinnitus reported that their tinnitus returned to the previous level within 1 week after frequent stimulations.
5. By comparing the right side and the left side in 78.3％ of patients with tinnitus in both sides, an improvement of tinnitus was observed after more than one week when frequent stimulation was given one time to 5 times within a week.
6. There were no problems caused by stimulation.
Key words : tinnitus, stimulation, facial nerve, improvement