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Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Early Psychosis and The Functional Connectivity Biotypes

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Subjects With Early Psychosis and The Functional Connectivity Biotypes

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04853485
Enrollment
300
Registered
2021-04-21
Start date
2020-08-01
Completion date
2024-12-31
Last updated
2023-12-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Clinical High Risk, First Episode Psychosis, Schizophrenia; Psychosis

Keywords

schizophrenia, prodromal phase, biotypes, target optimizing, precision calculation

Brief summary

The present study plans to explore different cortical targets of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for populations at the early phase of psychosis, including those at clinical high risk of psychosis and in the first episode of psychosis. The clinical augmentation efficacy will be associated with the brain functional connectivity of these populations.

Detailed description

Schizophrenia is a life long illness, the management of its early stage is the key in its long term outcomes. The early stage of schizophrenia includes the prodromal and first episode, during which the patients present psychotic symptoms (positive symptoms, negative symptoms) and cognition deficits. Antipsychotics are often prescribed to treat these symptoms, but more than one third patients do not respond well. Regarding cognition deficits, for example, while the visual spatial learning evaluated using Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) of The Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) may play an important role in the conversion of psychosis in the prodromal phase, there is still no corresponding intervention. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a new non-invasive brain stimulation. In previous studies, its applications mainly focus on negative symptoms and demonstrate promising findings. However, its efficacy has much needing improvement, urgently needing target optimizing and precision, especially according to the prominent complaints of patients. To solve this issue, the present project proposed to make efforts in 3 aspects: to recruit patients in early phase of illness, to administer rTMS of different protocols according to the symptoms and cognition, and to associate the biotypes of functional connectivity with rTMS's efficacy. All subjects will receive MRI scan before rTMS intervention in the present study. The clinical efficacy of rTMS of the present protocol will be applied to validate the biotypes of functional connectivity in early psychosis. The biotypes will be determined using an existing independent dataset, which include 650 available cases of resting MRI (including 400 patients in prodromal phase, 100 patients with first episode and 150 controls). Individual rTMS target will be optimized basing individual neuroimaging navigation. In the present protocol, we will recruit 300 new cases and perform a multicenter and randomized clinical trial to test the efficacy of our optimized rTMS protocols. All patients will be stratified according to their negative symptoms, positive symptom and cognition, and this will be determined by a panel of psychiatrists and rTMS therapists. It is estimated that about 100 cases in each of three subgroups. Subgroup 1 is characterized by prominent negative symptoms and will receives rTMS over cerebellum and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Subgroup 2 is characterized by prominent cognition deficits and will receive rTMS over left inferior parietal lobule, navigated by individual MRI and functional connectivity map with left hippocampus. Subgroup 3 is characterized by positive symptoms and will receive deep rTMS over ACC using H7 coil. The present project, if being performed successfully, will promote the non-invasive physical therapy in psychiatry to a significantly higher level.

Interventions

DEVICErepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

All subjects with early psychosis will be divided into three subgroups determined by their psychotic symptoms and cognition. There are three rTMS strategies: (1) For subgroup 1, characterized by negative symptoms, iTBS over cerebellum and 1 Hz over right DLPFC; (2) For subgroup 2, characterized by cognition deficits, 20 Hz over the left inferior parietal cortex; (3) For subgroup 3, characterized by positive symptoms: 10 Hz over ACC. Ten to twenty sessions of rTMS will be delivered to each patients during the intervention period.

Sponsors

Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Shenzhen Kangning Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Tianjin Anding Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Nantong Fourth People's Hospital & Nantong Brain Hospital
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
14 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

For subjects at clinical high-risk for psychosis Inclusion Criteria: * Meeting the syndrome of clinical high risk of psychosis, identified by a face-to-face interview using the Chinese version of Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes / Scale of Prodromal Symptoms (SIPS/SOPS); * Given the written consent for participation. * Age between 14-45 years old; * IQ\>69; * PANSS total scores \>= 55 or BVMT-R score \<= 26;

Exclusion criteria

* any contraindication to TMS treatment or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * substance or alcohol abuse within recent three months * any sensorimotor disorder (e.g., hearing disorder, lose one's sight), or any neurological disease (brain injury, epilepsy ) or any other physical disease which may lead to psychotic symptoms. For subjects with first-episode schizophrenia Inclusion Criteria: * Meeting the DSM-V diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia spectrum disorders; * Given the written consent for participation. * Age between 14-45 years old; * IQ\>69; * during the first episode without a full remission; * PANSS total scores \>= 55 or BVMT-R score \<= 26; * within receiving rTMS, patients can receive second-generation antipsychotics except clozapine with stable dosages

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Response rate (the number of non-responders) for subgroup 1 and subgroup 3Within 24 hours after the rTMS interventionResponse or responder will be determined by the reduction of PANSS total scores \>= 25%
Improvement on cognition for subgroup 2Within 24 hours after the rTMS interventionChange in BVMT-R score as measured by MCCB

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
side effect and safetyduring and after rTMS interventionthe frequency and severity of side effects
Improvement of prodromal symptomsWithin 24 hours after the rTMS interventionThe changes of SOPS scores and sub-scale scores
Improvement of cognitive functionWithin 24 hours after the rTMS interventionThe changes of all cognitive domains assessed by MCCB
Improvement of psychotic symptomsWithin 24 hours after the rTMS interventionThe changes of PANSS scores and sub-scale scores
clinical outcome1 yearremission, non-remission or relapse
The accuracy of prediction with functional connectivity biotypes at baseline1 yearThe association of clinical outcomes after rTMS intervention with functional connectivity biotypes at baseline
change in individualized psychosis risk scoreWithin 24 hours after the rTMS interventionFor subjects at clinical high risk of psychosis, individualized psychosis risk score will be calculated using clinical symptoms and cognition, which indicate the psychosis risk in the future.
Improvement of global functioningWithin 24 hours after the rTMS interventionThe GAF changes
Functional connectivityWithin 1week after the rTMS interventionchanges of whole-brain functional connectivity patterns

Countries

China

Contacts

Primary ContactJijun Wang, M.D, Ph.D
jijunwang27@163.com86-21-34773065

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 5, 2026