None listed
Conditions
Interventions
The rTMS group of 16 patients will receive bilateral high frequency rTMS stimulation during 15 days, sessions being given twice daily.
The sham group of 16 patients will constitute the placebo group
Sponsors
University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG)
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Participants must be 18 years or older. 2. They must be diagnosed with schizophrenia and the diagnosis must be confirmed by a standardised psychiatric assessment, the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN 2.1). 3. Patients included must have prominent negative symptoms and patients must have a negative subscore = or > than 15 on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS). 4. Only patients who are fully capable of making their own decision regarding participation in the research will be included.
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Exclusion criteria include rTMS and MRI contraindications (e.g. a personal or family history of epileptic seizures, history of brain surgery, intracerebral or pacemaker implants, inner ear prosthesis or other metal prosthetics/implants). 2. Neurological disorders, a head injury with loss of consciousness in the past. 3. Substance dependency within the previous 6 months. 4. Previous treatment with rTMS. 5. Severe behavioural disorders. 6. Inability to provide informed consent. 7. Claustrophobia. 8. Female patients who are pregnant will be excluded.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The primary outcome of the study is a significant decline of negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunctioning after bilateral high frequency rTMS treatment of the DLPFC. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The secondary outcome of the study is increased cortical activation in the DLPFC after rTMS treatment, measured through a fMRI study. | — |
Contacts
Public ContactJ. Dlabac-de Lange
Outcome results
None listed