Papers by Berthold Langguth
BioMed Research International, 2015
Background. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown promising effects in th... more Background. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has shown promising effects in the treatment of chronic subjective tinnitus. However, little is known about maintenance treatment in order to achieve long-lasting improvements. Objective. This study addresses the questions whether the repeated application of rTMS treatment can contribute to the maintenance or enhancement of treatment effects and if so in which cases repetitive treatment courses are beneficial. Methods. 55 patients with chronic tinnitus were treated with two rTMS treatment courses with ten treatment sessions each. The mean intertreatment interval was 20.65 ± 18.56 months. Tinnitus severity was assessed before and after each treatment course. Results. Both treatments were well tolerated and caused significant improvement of tinnitus severity. The main predictor for the outcome of the second treatment was the development of tinnitus distress in the phase between both treatment courses: the more patients worsened in this interval, the more they improved during the second treatment course. Conclusion. Repeated application of rTMS seems to be useful in tinnitus management and should preferentially be offered to patients who experience a worsening of their tinnitus during the intertreatment interval, irrespective of their response to the first treatment course.
Visual Cognition, Nov 1, 2004
Context traditionally has been regarded in vision research as a determinant for the interpretatio... more Context traditionally has been regarded in vision research as a determinant for the interpretation of sensory information on the basis of previously acquired knowledge. Here we propose a novel, complementary perspective by showing that context also specifically affects visual category learning. In two experiments involving sets of Compound Gabor patterns we explored how context, as given by the stimulus set to be learned, affects the internal representation of pattern categories. In Experiment 1, we changed the (local) context of the individual signal classes by changing the configuration of the learning set. In Experiment 2, we varied the (global) context of a fixed class configuration by changing the degree of signal accentuation. Generalization performance was assessed in terms of the ability to recognize contrast-inverted versions of the learning patterns. Both contextual variations yielded distinct effects on learning and generalization thus indicating a change in internal category representation. Computer simulations suggest that the latter is related to changes in the set of attributes underlying the production rules of the categories. The implications of these findings for phenomena of contrast (in)variance in visual perception are discussed.
Life Sci, 2002
Partial sleep deprivation (PSD) has a profound and rapid effect on depressed mood. However, the t... more Partial sleep deprivation (PSD) has a profound and rapid effect on depressed mood. However, the transient antidepressant effect of PSD - most patients relapse after one night of recovery sleep—is limiting the clinical use of this method. Using a controlled, balanced parallel design we studied, whether repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied in the morning after PSD is able to
BioMed Research International, 2015
Background. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of insomnia in chronic tinn... more Background. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of insomnia in chronic tinnitus and the association of tinnitus distress and sleep disturbance. Methods. We retrospectively analysed data of 182 patients with chronic tinnitus who completed the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) and the Regensburg Insomnia Scale (RIS). Descriptive comparisons with the validation sample of the RIS including exclusively patients with primary/psychophysiological insomnia, correlation analyses of the RIS with TQ scales, and principal component analyses (PCA) in the tinnitus sample were performed. TQ total score was corrected for the TQ sleep items. Results. Prevalence of insomnia was high in tinnitus patients (76%) and tinnitus distress correlated with sleep disturbance (r = 0.558). TQ sleep subscore correlated with the RIS sum score (r = 0.690). PCA with all TQ and RIS items showed one sleep factor consisting of all RIS and the TQ sleep items. PCA with only TQ sleep and RIS items showed sleep- and tinnitus-specific factors. The sleep factors (only RIS items) were sleep depth and fearful focusing. The TQ sleep items represented tinnitus-related sleep problems. Discussion. Chronic tinnitus and primary insomnia are highly related and might share similar psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms leading to impaired sleep quality.
BioMed Research International, 2015
Purpose. Primary tinnitus has a severe negative influence on the quality of life of a significant... more Purpose. Primary tinnitus has a severe negative influence on the quality of life of a significant portion of the general population. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation is designed to induce a long-lasting reduction of tinnitus symptoms. To test acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation as a treatment for chronic, tonal tinnitus under real life conditions, an outpatient study "RESET Real Life" was commissioned by ANM GmbH. Herein we present the results of this study. Methods. In a prospective, open-label, nonrandomized, noncontrolled multicenter clinical study with 200 chronic tinnitus patients, tinnitus questionnaire TBF-12 and Global Clinical Improvement-Impression Scale (CGI-I7) are used to study the safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation. 189 patients completed the last 12-month visit, 11 patients dropped out (8 because of nontreatment related reasons; 2 because tinnitus did not change; and 1 because tinnitus got louder). Results. Acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation caused a statistically and clinically significant decrease in TBF-12 scores as well as in CGI-I7 after 12 months of therapy under real life conditions. There were no persistent adverse events reported that were related to the therapy. Conclusion. The field study "RESET Real Life" provides evidence for safety and efficacy of acoustic coordinated reset neuromodulation in a prospective, open-label, real life setting.
Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2015
Cognitive impairments are one of the main contributors to disability and poor long-term outcome i... more Cognitive impairments are one of the main contributors to disability and poor long-term outcome in schizophrenia. Proof-of-concept trials indicate that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has the potential to improve cognitive functioning. We analyzed the effects of 10-Hz rTMS to the left DLPFC on cognitive deficits in schizophrenia in a large-scale and multicenter, sham-controlled study. A total of 156 schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms were randomly assigned to a 3-week intervention (10-Hz rTMS, 15 sessions, 1000 stimuli per session) with either active or sham rTMS. The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Trail Making Test A and B, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Digit Span Test, and the Regensburg Word Fluency Test were administered before intervention and at day 21, 45, and 105 follow-up. From the test results, a neuropsychological composite score was computed. Both groups showed no differences in any of the outcome variables before and after intervention. Both groups improved markedly over time, but effect sizes indicate a numeric, but nonsignificant superiority of active rTMS in certain cognitive tests. Active 10-Hz rTMS applied to the left DLPFC for 3 weeks was not superior to sham rTMS in the improvement of various cognitive domains in schizophrenia patients with predominant negative symptoms. This is in contrast to previous preliminary proof-of-concept trials, but highlights the need for more multicenter randomized controlled trials in the field of noninvasive brain stimulation.
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2015
Tinnitus is the perception of phantom sound in the absence of a corresponding external source. It... more Tinnitus is the perception of phantom sound in the absence of a corresponding external source. It is a highly prevalent disorder, and most cases are caused by cochlear injury that leads to peripheral deafferentation, which results in adaptive changes in the CNS. In this article we critically assess the recent neuroimaging studies in individuals with tinnitus that suggest that the disorder is accompanied by functional and structural brain abnormalities in distributed auditory and non-auditory brain regions. Moreover, we consider how the identification of the neuronal mechanisms underlying the different forms of tinnitus would benefit from larger studies, replication and comprehensive clinical assessment of patients.
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 2006
Objectives: Neurotrophic factors play key roles in the developing auditory pathway including the ... more Objectives: Neurotrophic factors play key roles in the developing auditory pathway including the sensory epithelium of the inner ear, and structures involved in the central nervous processing of auditory stimuli. In the present investigation, we explored a possible implication of variant BDNF in the susceptibility to chronic tinnitus.
Klinische Neurophysiologie, 2007
Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 2015
Nature Biotechnology, Sep 1, 2013
Psychiatrische Praxis, 2005
Transcranial magnetic stimulation as mapping method offers the possibility to measure aspects of ... more Transcranial magnetic stimulation as mapping method offers the possibility to measure aspects of motor cortex excitability painlessly and non-invasively. Using this neurophysiological tool, new insights into the effects of central-acting drugs are possible. Particularly striking seems to be the potential of this approach to gain new insights into neurobiological processes associated with neuropsychiatric diseases like schizophrenia or major depression. In combination with genetic aspects, TMS is able to bridge the gap between molecular research and clinical approach.
Textbook of Tinnitus, 2011
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Papers by Berthold Langguth