Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Motor Symptoms in Psychiatric Disorders

University of Bern

Status: Completed

Conditions: Major Depressive Disorder; Psychomotor Slowing; Schizophrenia and Related Disorders; Psychomotor Retardation

Treatments: Other: DLPFC facilitatory; Other: sham TMS; Other: SMA facilitatory; Other: SMA inhibitory

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03275766

SNCTP610

Details and patient eligibility

About

Psychomotor slowing may occur in major psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorders or schizophrenia spectrum disorders. It refers to slowing of fine motor skills, motor planning and gross motor behavior. In major depression and schizophrenia, psychomotor slowing is associated with alterations of premotor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia. This randomized, sham-controlled, prospective trial will test, whether 15 sessions of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may ameliorate psychomotor slowing in schizophrenia or major depression.

Full description

Psychomotor slowing may occur in major psychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorders or schizophrenia spectrum disorders. It refers to slowing of fine motor skills, motor planning and gross motor behavior. In major depression and schizophrenia, psychomotor slowing is associated with alterations of premotor cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia. This randomized, sham-controlled, prospective trial will test, whether 15 sessions of rTMS in 3 weeks may ameliorate psychomotor slowing in schizophrenia or major depression.

Eligible participants will be randomized to one of four arms:

Enrollment: 45 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• suffering from major depressive disorder or schizophrenia spectrum disorder according to DSM-5 criteria
• right handedness
• normal or corrected-to-normal vision and hearing

Exclusion criteria

• epilepsy
• history of severe head trauma
• current abuse of drugs or alcohol; past addiction to drugs or alcohol
• pregnancy
• incompatibility to cerebral MRI

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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45 participants in 4 patient groups

DLPFC facilitatory

Active Comparator group

Description:

repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of 15 Hz over left DLPFC usually effective in depression treatment, probably no specific effect on psychomotor slowing

Treatment:

Other: DLPFC facilitatory

preSMA/SMA inhibitory

Experimental group

Description:

repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of 1 Hz over preSMA/SMA should inhibit overactive premotor cortices

Treatment:

Other: SMA inhibitory

preSMA/SMA facilitatory

Experimental group

Description:

intermittend theta burst stimulation (iTBS) over preSMA/SMA should facilitate neural activity within premotor cortices

Treatment:

Other: SMA facilitatory

sham TMS

Sham Comparator group

Description:

sham rTMS with a placebo coil over occipital cortex should have no effect at all (no transcranial magnetic stimulation, only sound)

Treatment:

Other: sham TMS