A Study of rTMS for Cognitive Deficits in Chronic Patients With Schizophrenia

Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital

Status: Completed

Conditions: Schizophrenia

Treatments: Device: Sham rTMS; Device: repetitive TMS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03273439

Szzx201509 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

46694276-1

Details and patient eligibility

About

In this study, we assessed the therapeutic effects and safety of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on negative symptoms of schizophrenia. We evaluated the efficacy of rTMS on cognition in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Full description

This is a randomized, sham-controlled, double-blinded trial. 47 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia on stable antipsychotic treatment were randomly assigned to active rTMS treatment group (n=25) or a sham rTMS treatment group (n=22). 25 patients in the active rTMS group received 10 Hz 110% rTMS, while 22 patients were subjected to sham rTMS, both being given 4-week treatment (5 days per week). Efficacy of negative symptom was assessed with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), the Positive and Negative symptom scale (PANSS) at baseline, the end of 4 weeks and 8 weeks. The cognitive function was assessed with CANTAB at baseline, the end of 4 weeks and 8 weeks .The side effects were assessed with Treatment Emergent Symptoms Scale at baseline and the end of 4 weeks.

Enrollment: 47 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Right-handed;
2. meeting the diagnosis of schizophrenia for at least 2 years;
3. had been on anti-psychotic medications for more than 12 weeks;
4. with unresolved negative symptoms (SANS>20).

Exclusion criteria

1. with substance use disorders ;
2. with cerebral pathologies (e.g. seizure, aneurysm, stroke), intra-cranial metals, pacemakers, severe cardiovascular diseases;
3. receiving electroconvulsive therapy in the past 3 months.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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47 participants in 2 patient groups

repetitive TMS

Experimental group

Description:

Prior to each TMS administration, motor threshold was determined by stimulating the left motor strip with the lowest possible energy to produce, within 10 stimuli, at least 5 evoked potentials Z0.05 . In active rTMS, 10 Hz stimulations over left DLPFC occurred at a power of 110% of MT for 5-s intervals with 30-s intertrain interval. 30 trains were administered each day (MondayFriday) for 4 consecutive weeks (total stimuli=30,000).

Treatment:

Device: repetitive TMS

Sham rTMS

Sham Comparator group

Description:

all procedures were identical except they were the unmagnetized steel cylinders, instead of cylindrical magnets, that were rotated. Participants were, therefore, unable to distinguish between active and sham rTMS.

Treatment:

Device: Sham rTMS