The effects of add-on fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on auditory verbal hallucinations, other psychopathological symptoms and insight in schizophrenia: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial

firemonkey · August 15, 2018, 12:31pm

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of add-on fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on auditory verbal hallucinations, other psychopathological symptoms and insight in schizophrenia: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial.

CC Chang, NS Tzeng, CY Chao, CB Yeh and HA Chang, The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, Aug 2018 09

The efficacy of fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in treating auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) and other psychopathological symptoms of schizophrenia patients has been examined in a small number of clinical trials with limited sample sizes, but the results are mixed. Fronto-temporal tDCS has also been demonstrated to enhance patients' insight into their mental illness in an open-label pilot study. The current investigation aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of fronto-temporal tDCS on the severity of AVHs, other schizophrenia symptoms and insight in a large double blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial.Sixty patients with medication-refractory AVHs were randomized over two conditions: tDCS with 2-mA, twice-daily sessions for five consecutive days, with anodal stimulation to the left prefrontal cortex and cathodal stimulation to the left temporo-parietal junction, and sham treatment.Fronto-temporal tDCS failed to cause significant changes in the severity of AVHs and other schizophrenia symptoms. The levels of insight into illness (effect size = 0.511, p < 0.001) and positive symptoms (effect size = 0.781, p < 0.001) were largely promoted by 5 days of tDCS relative to sham treatment. The beneficial effects on the two insight dimensions remained one month after tDCS.Fronto-temporal tDCS is not more effective for AVHs and other schizophrenia symptoms than sham treatment. But the results of tDCS-associated improvement in awareness of illness and positive symptoms show promise and provide a new direction for future research into insight promotion interventions in schizophrenia.

twinklestars · August 15, 2018, 3:27pm

That would really be something if they can target insight.

NutsAboutU · August 15, 2018, 3:33pm

The Netflix documovie about a TBI patient ‘My Beautiful Broken Brain’ is a good watch. It documents an actual case of tDCS treatment.

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The effects of add-on fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on auditory verbal hallucinations, other psychopathological symptoms and insight in schizophrenia: A randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial

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