Developing Dual-channel Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulations Targeting Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Shanghai Mental Health Center60 enrolled

Overview

Negative symptoms are core symptoms in schizophrenia which play an important role in clinical outcomes and impede patients to return to society. Anti-psychotic medicines have shown limited effect in improving negative symptoms and cognitive functioning, whereas non-invasive neuromodulations, i.e. , transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), have shown promising potentials. Recently new evidence of brain structural and functional alterations has been provided by neuroimaging studies. Brady RO et al. found cerebellar-prefrontal network connectivity was related to negative symptoms in schizophrenia. It provides clues for developing a new tACS protocol targeting improving negative symptoms, in which dual-channel high-density alternating current stimulations were delivered over both the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum simultaneously.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Schizophrenia Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulations Negative Symptoms

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 60 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * meet the DSM-V diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia; * present with prominent negative symptoms with PANSS-negative scores \>20, at least one score of PANSS N1-N7 \>3, and reductive ratio of PANSS-negative in the past two weeks before recruitment \<10%; * stable usage and dosage of anti-psychotic medicines in the past two weeks and during the tACS intervention. * age within 18-60; * illness duration \>1year; * education at least 6 years; * written consent of receiving tACS intervention. Exclusion Criteria: * Meet any DSM-V diagnostic criteria of any other psychiatric disorders besides schizophrenia ; * any history of alcohol or substance dependence in the past 3 months; * any other major physical disease (i.e., Sensorimotor disorder, neurological disease); * any metal implants or any other tACS contraindication.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

reductive ratio of PANSS-negative symptoms scores

differences of reductive ratio of PANSS-negative symptoms scores after between active and sham tACS

Time frame: At 1 week and 3 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

changes of PANSS total scores

changes of PANSS total scores before and after active or sham tACS

Time frame: At 1 week and 3 weeks

cognitive functioning changes using MCCB

changes of MCCB scores before and after active or sham tACS

Time frame: At 1 week and 3 weeks

changes of P300 activity

changes of P300 activity at baseline and after 10-session tACS

Time frame: At 1 week

changes of MMN activity

changes of MMN activity at baseline and after 10-session tACS

Time frame: At 1 week

changes of power of resting-state EEG activity

changes of power of resting-state EEG activity at baseline, after 1-session tACS and after 10-session tACS

Time frame: At 1 day and 1 week

centroid value from fNIRS recording before and after active or sham tACS

Time frame: At 1 week

Integral value from fNIRS recording before and after active or sham tACS

Intergral value from fNIRS recording before and after active or sham tACS

Time frame: At 1 week

Developing Dual-channel Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulations Targeting Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (2)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes