NCT05039489

A Study on the Brain Mechanism of cTBS in Improving Medication-resistant Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 200 (actual)
• Sponsor: Central South University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 45 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

This study is dedicated to exploring the brain mechanism of medication-resistant auditory hallucinations and developing effective treatment methods for them by using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. The continuous theta burst stimulation(cTBS) treatment mode, with the left cerebellum Crus II as the stimulation target, is applied to treat the schizophrenia patients with the medication-resistant auditory hallucinations. At the same time, the first-episode schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations were recruited as a test cohort to examine that brain mechanism of general auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may be the structural and functional abnormalities in the temporoparietal circuit.

Detailed description

Previous studies have shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeted at the temporal-parietal junction can effectively treat genenal auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia, but it is not the case for medication-resistant auditory hallucinations. Studies suggested that rTMS targeted at the left Crus II might be effective for medication-resistant auditory hallucinations. This study is dedicated to exploring the brain mechanism of medication-resistant auditory hallucinations and developing effective treatment methods for them by using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. The continuous theta burst stimulation(cTBS) treatment mode, with the left cerebellum Crus II as the stimulation target, is applied to treat the schizophrenia patients with the medication-resistant auditory hallucinations. Assessment with symptomatology, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, and machine learning methods is utilized to examine the investigators hypothesis that structural and functional abnormalities of the cerebral cortico-cerebellar-thalamic-cortical circuit (CCTCC) may contribute to brain mechanism of medication-resistant auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. At the same time, the first-episode schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations were recruited as a test cohort to examine that brain mechanism of general auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may be the structural and functional abnormalities in the temporoparietal circuit, whereas structural and functional abnormalities of the CCTCC may contribute to brain mechanism of medication-resistant auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.

Conditions

• Schizophrenia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Antipsychotic drugs	Stable antipsychotic medication 4 weeks before and during the treatment. Chlorpromazine (CPZ) equivalent dosages were calculated for second- and first-generation antipsychotic drugs
DEVICE	cTBS（the left temporoparietal cortex as the stimulation target）	Participants received 3 daily sessions of cTBS treatment. One session of cTBS was 40 seconds in duration and consisted of 3-pulse bursts at 50 Hz repeated every 200 milliseconds (5 Hz) until a total of 600 pulses was reached. To achieve cumulative aftereffects, this protocol was repeated 3 times and (1800 pulses in total) separated by two 15 minute breaks
DEVICE	cTBS （the left cerebellum Crus II as the stimulation target）	Participants received 3 daily sessions of cTBS treatment. One session of cTBS was 40 seconds in duration and consisted of 3-pulse bursts at 50 Hz repeated every 200 milliseconds (5 Hz) until a total of 600 pulses was reached. To achieve cumulative aftereffects, this protocol was repeated 3 times and (1800 pulses in total) separated by two 15 minute breaks

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-09-09
• Primary completion: 2023-10-31
• Completion: 2023-11-30
• First posted: 2021-09-09
• Last updated: 2024-08-21

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China