Application of neurodegenerative disease treatment strategies in tinnitus: mechanisms, translation, and prospects

Tinnitus, a prevalent auditory perception symptom, is closely associated with maladaptive neuroplasticity within the central auditory and non-auditory pathways. Its complex pathophysiology shares significant mechanistic parallels with neurodegenerative processes, including neuroinflammation, synaptic dysfunction, excitotoxicity, and aberrant neural network reorganization....

No actionable change for current practice — this is a narrative review proposing future treatment directions; no therapies are ready for clinical adoption based on this review alone.

Framing tinnitus within the neurodegenerative plasticity paradigm could open new drug and neuromodulation treatment pipelines, potentially accelerating therapeutic development for a condition with no FDA-approved pharmacotherapy.

1. 01Review maps treatment strategies from neurodegenerative diseases onto tinnitus pathophysiology.
2. 02Both conditions share maladaptive neuroplasticity (the brain rewiring itself in harmful ways) as a core mechanism.
3. 03Potential translatable strategies include synaptic modulators, neuroprotective agents, and neuromodulation.
4. 04Translational gaps and safety considerations are highlighted as key barriers.
5. 05Authors outline a roadmap for future tinnitus drug development trials.

PMID

42293152

DOI

10.3389/fnagi.2026.1835649.

Journal

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience

Publication type

review

Evidence level

5

Population

Not applicable — review of existing literature on tinnitus and neurodegenerative disease models

Intervention

Neurodegenerative disease treatment strategies applied to tinnitus (targeting maladaptive neuroplasticity)