Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Individuals With Schizophrenia

Johns Hopkins University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Schizophrenia

Treatments: Procedure: transcranial direct current stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01607840

15657-S

Details and patient eligibility

About

This research is being done to determine whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can improve certain mental abilities and alter functional connectivity in individuals with Schizophrenia. In this research, a 9 volt battery is used to deliver very weak electrical current to the surface of the scalp while participants complete cognitive tasks. Participants also receive a brain scan before and after stimulation. Our aim is to determine if tDCS can improve mental abilities in individuals with schizophrenia.

Full description

Participants enrolled into this study may be asked to do the following:

Grant permission for the researchers to view medical records associated with their language/cognitive difficulties

Complete a questionnaire, provide a health history, and take some pencil-and-paper tests of problem-solving and memory in order to verify eligibility to participate and to able to safely undergo the experimental procedures.

Complete several tasks (e.g., saying words out loud, naming objects, drawing designs, remembering lists of words, searching for images or letters, and/or completing puzzles) based upon a number of cognitive functions such as language, memory, vision, processing, and perception.

Wear electrodes that will be placed on the scalp with a large rubberized band. These electrodes will administer very weak electrical current (tDCS) from a 9 volt battery for 20 to 60 minutes.

Participation in several study conditions. The exact conditions and their order will be randomized. Under some conditions, participants may receive active stimulation (tDCS) and under other conditions, they may receive sham stimulation.

The experimental sessions will last approximately 2 hours and participants may be asked to have more than one testing session in a day or to return for additional sessions.

Have a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) brain scan.

Enrollment: 11 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 79 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
• English as a native language

Exclusion criteria

• appreciable deficits in hearing or vision
• appreciable accent
• any implanted metal device or pacemaker
• Dementia or Mini Mental Exam below 24
• History of Seizures

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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11 participants in 3 patient groups

Anodal Stimulation

Experimental group

Description:

transcranial direct current stimulation using Anodal stimulation over the area of interest

Treatment:

Procedure: transcranial direct current stimulation

Cathodal

Experimental group

Description:

transcranial direct current stimulation using cathodal stimulation over the brain area of interest

Treatment:

Procedure: transcranial direct current stimulation

Sham Stimulation

Sham Comparator group

Description:

transcranial direct current stimulation that is ramped up and ramped down providing the sensation of tDCS without actually delivering tDCS

Treatment:

Procedure: transcranial direct current stimulation