The efficacy of treatments for depression used in the management of tinnitus

Abstract

Tinnitus and depression are both common, and various studies have shown a high degree of comorbidity between the two conditions. The causality of this link is still unclear: does depression predispose to tinnitus, do tinnitus patients become depressed because of their tinnitus or do the two conditions arise because of some common pathophysiological mechanism? Partly because of this observed comorbidity, many treatment modalities that have been used in the treatment of depression have also been assessed in tinnitus patients. These include antidepressant drugs, psychological interventions, most notably cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and brain stimulation with electrical or magnetic energy. There is a reasonable evidence base for supporting the use of CBT in tinnitus patients. Evidence supporting the use of antidepressant drugs is poor and the technique of electromagnetic brain stimulation is still in its infancy.