NCT01880255

rTMS for Working Memory Deficits in Schizophrenia

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for the Treatment of Working Memory Deficits in Schizophrenia and Effects on Brain Structure

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 81 (actual)
• Sponsor: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 59 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

In this study, the investigators will be examining the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on memory deficits in individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Half of the study participants will be chosen by chance to receive active rTMS stimulation while half will be chosen by chance to receive sham rTMS. Sham rTMS will feel the same as active rTMS only there will be no direct brain stimulation. This is necessary to ensure that active rTMS is efficacious in the enhancement of memory in individuals with schizophrenia. Based on results from a recently published pilot study, the investigators propose that active rTMS treatment will result in a significant improvement in working memory performance compared to sham rTMS treatment.

Detailed description

This study is a randomized, double blind, sham controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation as a treatment for working memory deficits in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder between 18 and 59 years of age. The study duration is approximately 3 months, with the rTMS sessions lasting for 4 weeks, 5 times a week, for about 1 hour each. Several scales will be used to assess symptom severity as part of the clinical assessment. Cognition will be assessed using a validated battery and the N-back task. This study also involves a type of brain imaging known as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the beginning and at the end of the 4 weeks of daily rTMS to better understand the effects of rTMS on brain structure and function. Investigators will measure the size and connections of different parts of the brain to assess brain structure and blood flow while you are completing some basic tasks to assess brain function. We will also collect two blood samples (before and after rTMS treatment) to see if certain proteins change in response to treatment. Finally, an analysis of genetic material will be conducted to see if genes play a role in differences in how people respond to treatment.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia
• Schizoaffective Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DEVICE	Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation	rTMS is a non-invasive procedure involving the use of magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells.

Timeline

• Start date: 2013-06-01
• Primary completion: 2019-01-07
• Completion: 2019-01-07
• First posted: 2013-06-18
• Last updated: 2019-07-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Canada