Tinnitus treatment with memantine

Abstract

Objective To evaluate efficacy and safety of memantine in the treatment of tinnitus. Study Design Prospective, randomized, double-blind crossover study. Subjects and Methods A total of 60 patients with tinnitus were randomized into a double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective crossover study. Patients each received up to 20 mg memantine and placebo for 90 days, separated by a 30-day washout period. Treatment effects were assessed by using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). A total of 43 patients completed the trial. Results There was no significant improvement of THI score after memantine treatment compared with placebo. A possible tendency for delayed effects of memantine was observed. The incidence of side effects during memantine treatment was 9.4 percent, leading to interruption of treatment in all cases. Conclusion This study does not provide evidence to recommend memantine for the treatment of tinnitus. A possible late effect of the drug should be evaluated in further studies with longer observation periods.