Survey of tinnitus patients’ acceptance of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation as a management option

Objectives: To investigate acceptance of high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) as a management option for tinnitus. Design: Participants completed an online version of the Tinnitus Functional Index (TFI), after which they recorded their satisfaction ratings with different hypothetical intervention outcomes on a 10-point rating scale using Opinio survey software. Study sample: Data from 272 tinnitus sufferers from English-speaking regions worldwide were collected, of which the majority had moderate to severe tinnitus as per TFI. Results: The survey showed that HD-tDCS was considered an acceptable form of tinnitus management, and that the satisfaction rating depended significantly on a number of factors: (1) the strength of the tinnitus reduction following the intervention (p < 0.001); 2) the duration of the intervention (p < 0.001); and (3) the effects of the intervention on either tinnitus loudness or tinnitus-related distress (p < 0.001). Respondents rated their satisfaction with the intervention 10/10 only if it completely eliminated tinnitus loudness, although reductions of 50–80% were also rated highly acceptable. No association was found between tinnitus severity and acceptability ratings. Conclusions: These findings are important for future HD-tDCS trials for tinnitus, as they demonstrate the need to optimise stimulation protocols to increase effect sizes and decrease time spent on the treatment.