One Hz low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation to Heschl’s gyrus and auditory cortex in patients of tinnitus: a case series and review of literature

Tinnitus affects as much as 10% of young adults at some point in their life. Most tinnitus is "sensorineural," meaning that it's due to hearing loss at the cochlea or cochlear nerve level but it may originate anywhere along the auditory pathway, from the outer or middle and inner ear to the brain's auditory cortex. There is no FDA-approved drug treatment for tinnitus as of now, and controlled clinical trials have not found any drug, supplement, or herb to be any more effective than a placebo. A new and innovative promising approach for the treatment of tinnitus is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as this directly affects tinnitus-related brain activity. We hereby report the three distinct cases of tinnitus which responded well to 1 Hz low frequency TMS s to Heschl’s gyrus and auditory cortex. The overarching goal is to enhance awareness, understanding, and management of chronic tinnitus using TMS neurostimulation therapy as there are no such reports of interventions in Indian clinical practice till date.