Original Paper

Effects of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor on Treating Tinnitus in Patients Stratified for Presence of Depression or Anxiety
Naoki Oishi, Sho Kanzaki, Seiichi Shinden, Hideyuki Saito, Yasuhiro Inoue, Kaoru Ogawa

Department of Otolaryngology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

Address of Corresponding Author

Audiol Neurotol 2010;15:187-193 (DOI: 10.1159/000251916)

  Key Words

• Tinnitus
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
• Paroxetine
• Depression
• Anxiety

  Abstract

We evaluated the effects of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, paroxetine, on treating tinnitus.Tinnitus patients stratified for the presence of depression and anxiety were studied retrospectively. Fifty-six patients were observed for more than 6 months. They were initially treated with paroxetine only at a dose of 10 mg/day for 2-4 weeks; thereafter, the dose was increased to 20 mg/day. Tinnitus distress was evaluated with the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) and with visual analog scales (VASs) for tinnitus loudness and annoyance. Depression and anxiety were measured with the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and the trait section of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). The patients were grouped according to their SDS and STAI scores, and each variable was compared at baseline and the 6-month follow-up. Changes among these variables were also examined to determine whether reduced tinnitus distress was related to the improvement of depression or anxiety. Patients with both depression and anxiety showed better results (decrease in THI, VASs, SDS and STAI scores) than patients with anxiety alone, or patients without depression and anxiety. In patients with depression and anxiety, changes in tinnitus variables and changes in depression and anxiety scores were strongly correlated. In other patients, however, changes in tinnitus variables and changes in depression and anxiety scores were not correlated. These results suggest that paroxetine is effective in treating distressed tinnitus patients with depression and anxiety by reducing their tinnitus severity as well as their depression and anxiety.

Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Naoki Oishi, MD
Keio University School of Medicine, Department of Otolaryngology
35 Shinanomachi Shinjuku
Tokyo 160-8582 (Japan)
Tel. +81 3 5363 3827, Fax +81 3 3353 1261, E-Mail o-ishi@mub.biglobe.ne.jp

  Article Information

Received: January 29, 2009
Accepted after revision: July 16, 2009
Published online: October 23, 2009
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 7, Number of References : 19