Low-intensity TUS for Sleep Disturbances in Patients With Chronic Tinnitus

NCT ID: NCT06776705

Last Updated: 2025-07-18

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

14 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-01-15

Study Completion Date

2026-06-30

Brief Summary

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Background: Tinnitus, as a common symptom, can jeopardize the sleep quality and brain function and even lead to hearing loss and cognitive decline in elderly patients. The co-occurring tinnitus and sleep disturbances can significantly affect the cognitive functions and quality of life, and even be implicated as a key contributing factor in the development of prodromal dementia. At present, very few non-pharmacological therapies are developed for managing these comorbidities in elderly patients. Focused low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) enables to stimulation the deep brain structures, such as hippocampus, with optimized focality and specific frequency.

Objectives: We aim to 1) investigate the safety, feasibility and efficacy of a 2-week focused low-intensity TUS on the severity of tinnitus and sleep disturbances in elderly patients; 2) determine the sample size of a full-scale randomized clinical trial of low-intensity TUS in patients with tinnitus; 3) evaluate the effects of low-intensity TUS on the severity of tinnitus, sleep quality and cognitive functions at 2, 4 and 6 weeks after the treatments.

Design: A 2-week randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. Methods: Chinese right-handed tinnitus patients with sleep disturbances (aged from 60 to 90 years) will be randomly assigned to a 2-week intervention of either low intensity TUS or sham TUS, with 7 participants per arm. Before intervention, T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) data is used to construct individual realistic head model. Comprehensive assessments, including sleep quality, cognitive performance and quality of life will be conducted at baseline, 2nd week, 4th week and 6th week. Program adherence and adverse effects will be monitored throughout intervention.

Detailed Description

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Significance: This study aims to investigate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of low intensity TUS for sleep disturbances in patients with tinnitus. It wills also test the program adherence, tolerability and adverse effects of this innovative neurotechnology. Information will be helpful for in-depth understanding the relationship of "tinnitus, sleep and cognition" and guiding the further studies of otology, sleep medicine and age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

Data analysis: The primary outcomes will be the changes in tinnitus symptoms and sleep quality, and the comparisons of group differences across different time points. Secondary outcomes will be the changes of cognitive functions and quality of life. Intention-to-treat analysis will be carried out. Changes of efficacy indicators from baseline to each follow up point will be tested with mixed effect model.

Conditions

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Tinnitus Sleep Disturbances Cognition

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

TRIPLE

Participants Caregivers Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Active TUS

In active TUS group, participants will receive 500 kHz low-intensity TUS.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Low-intensity TUS, as an advanced modality of transcranial brain stimulation, enables to stimulate the deep brain structures with optimized focality and specific frequency.

Sham TUS

In sham TUS group, participants will not receive low-intensity TUS.

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation

Intervention Type DEVICE

Low-intensity TUS, as an advanced modality of transcranial brain stimulation, enables to stimulate the deep brain structures with optimized focality and specific frequency.

Interventions

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Low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation

Low-intensity TUS, as an advanced modality of transcranial brain stimulation, enables to stimulate the deep brain structures with optimized focality and specific frequency.

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Chinese, right-handed, aged from 60 to 80 years.
* Chronic tinnitus is defined as tinnitus with a duration of at least 3 months. Depending on the justification, different time course definitions of chronic tinnitus are possible.
* Sleep disturbances are defined as a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) total score above 5.
* No interference with independence in everyday activities.

Exclusion Criteria

* Diseases of ear canal and tympanic membrane checked by otoscopic examination.
* Previous diagnosis of Meniere's disease and acoustic neuromas.
* Past history of neurological or mental disorders.
* Physically frail affecting attendance to treatment sessions.
* Already attending regular treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or music therapy.
* Taking a psychotropic or other medication known to affect hearing functions.
* Significant communicative impairments.
Minimum Eligible Age

60 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

85 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Chinese University of Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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LU Hanna

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Hanna LU, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Locations

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Tai Po Hospital

Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Tai Po Hospital

Hong Kong, Tai Po District, Hong Kong

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Hong Kong

Central Contacts

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Xi Ni, PhD

Role: CONTACT

852-28314305

Facility Contacts

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Xi NI, PhD

Role: primary

Hanna LU, PhD

Role: primary

85228314305

Hanna, PhD

Role: backup

References

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Ni X, Yuen YS, Li Z, Wang K, Yang NS, Yuan Y, Meng L, Guo L, Lu H. Focused low-intensity hippocampal transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) for sleep disturbances in patients with chronic tinnitus: A study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2025 Aug 6;20(8):e0329950. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0329950. eCollection 2025.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40768410 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2023.636

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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