Masseter Muscle in Somatosensory Tinnitus and Potential Therapeutic Role for Botulinum Toxin Type A: A Scoping Review

: Increasing evidence supports the existence of a somatosensory subtype of tinnitus, in which craniocervical-craniomandibular structures can modulate tinnitus perception also through central auditory pathways. Despite growing mechanistic evidence, no targeted pharmacological intervention has been validated for this subtype....

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Evidence for Botulinum Toxin Type A in somatosensory tinnitus is preliminary and based on a scoping review; audiologists should not alter clinical practice but may consider interdisciplinary referral to oromandibular specialists for patients with jaw-modulated tinnitus.

Somatosensory tinnitus linked to craniomandibular dysfunction is frequently underdiagnosed; identifying a potential targeted treatment pathway could shift management toward interdisciplinary orofacial and audiology care.

1. 01Somatosensory tinnitus can be modulated by jaw (masseter) and neck muscle activity.
2. 02Scoping review maps evidence on Botulinum Toxin Type A (BoNT-A) as a therapeutic target for masseter-related tinnitus.
3. 03Craniocervical-craniomandibular structures appear to play a role in a subset of tinnitus patients.
4. 04Evidence base is early-stage; no randomised controlled trials of BoNT-A for this indication were identified.
5. 05Published in Toxins, reflecting the pharmacological focus of the review.

PMID

42506730

DOI

10.3390/toxins18070310.

Journal

Toxins

Publication type

review

Evidence level

2a

Population

Adults with somatosensory tinnitus associated with craniomandibular or craniocervical dysfunction

Intervention

Botulinum Toxin Type A injection into masseter and related craniomandibular structures