Comparing the Efficacy of Acamprosate with other Drugs in Central Tinnitus

Abstract

This chapter aims to compare the efficacy of acamprosate with other drugs to decrease the severity of sensorineural tinnitus. Acamprosate, which acts as both a glutamate antagonist and a GABA agonist, was found to relieve tinnitus in more than 80% of patients. Tinnitus is characterized by the perception of sound or noise in the absence of any internal or external acoustical stimulation. This randomised double-blind, placebo controlled, crossover study included 40 adult subjects, of either sex with tinnitus of sensorineural origin, and administered either acamprosate 333 mg tds or matched placebo for a period of six weeks followed by a washout period of one week. In accordance with the crossover design, drug therapy was switched for another six weeks. The Impact of acamprosate and placebo on subjective relief and objective progress was assessed using modified tinnitus severity quality of life measures and audiometry with tinnitus matching in frequency and loudness. In comparison to other medications in this group, the drug revealed a statistically significant improvement in reducing the tinnitus score in 92.5% of the patients, whereas the placebo had an improvement in 12.5% of the patients.  The study concluded that Acamprosate is a medication that effectively reduces the severity of sensorineural tinnitus.