ArticleEClinicalMedicine2021
Efficacy of pharmacologic treatment in tinnitus patients without specific or treatable origin: A network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- Methodological quality of network meta-analyses of Chinese herbal medicine could be improved: an evidence mapping.Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology · 2026Pooled it
- Audiovestibular Dysfunction Related to Long COVID-19 Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Characteristics, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Pooled it
- Pharmacotherapy options for the management of subjective tinnitus: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Optimal Dosing of Nortriptyline-Topiramate and Verapamil-Paroxetine Combinations in Tinnitus Treatment.The Laryngoscope · 2025Trial
- Efficacy of Nortriptyline-Topiramate and Verapamil-Paroxetine in Tinnitus Management: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2025Trial
- Migraine and auditory dysfunction: beyond comorbidity.Journal of neurology · 2026Review
- Risk of Hearing Loss in Patients Treated with Exendin-4 Derivatives: A Network Meta-Analysis of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Impact of short-term tinnitus treatment on cognitive function and neural synchronization.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Article
- AUDISTIMAudiology research · 2024Article
- The impact of tinnitus on Dutch general practices: A retrospective study using routine healthcare data.PloS one · 2024Article
- Article
- Recent Updates on Tinnitus Management.Journal of audiology & otology · 2023Review
- Migraine management for the otolaryngologist.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2023Review
- Management of Migraine-Associated Vestibulocochlear Disorders.Audiology research · 2023Review
- Tinnitus Guidelines and Their Evidence Base.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Effect of electrical stimulation with a cochlear implant on tinnitus impact: protocol of an individual patient data meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Tinnitus Associated with Mild Osteomyelitis of the Temporal Bone Reversed after Conservative Antibiotic Treatment: A Case Series.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Article
- The Dose and Duration-dependent Association between Melatonin Treatment and Overall Cognition in Alzheimer's Dementia: A Network Meta- Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials.Current neuropharmacology · 2022Article
- Herbal medicines in the treatment of tinnitus: An updated review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
21 authors at 13 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough tinnitus has a prevalence between 20 and 42.8%, the currently recommended management for tinnitus, such as tinnitus support and psychologic therapies, are relatively time-consuming and expensive. Several new pharmacologic treatments designed for tinnitus patients without specific origin had been developed but their efficacy remains unclear.
methodsThe current Network Meta-Analysis (NMA) of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of different pharmacologic treatments for tinnitus management in tinnitus patients without specific or treatable origin (i.e. primary tinnitus). Databases were searched from inception to April 5
findingsOverall, 36 RCTs were included with 2,761 participants. The main results revealed that pharmacologic interventions with brain-acting effect (for example, amitriptyline, acamprosate, and gabapentin) and those with anti-inflammation/anti-oxidant effect (for example, intra-tympanic dexamethasone injection plus oral melatonin) were associated with superior improvement in tinnitus severity and response rate compared to placebo/control. Oral amitriptyline were associated with the highest improvement in tinnitus severity and the fourth highest response rate. None of the investigated interventions was associated with different changes in quality of life compared to placebo/control. All the investigated treatments were associated with similar drop-out rate to placebo/control.
interpretationThe current NMA suggests a potential role for treatments with brain-acting effect (for example, amitriptyline, acamprosate, and gabapentin) or anti-inflammation/anti-oxidant effect (for example, intra-tympanic dexamethasone injection plus oral melatonin) as the preferable effective treatments for tinnitus without specific or treatable origin.
fundingnone.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.