# Transcranial magnetic stimulation reduces auditory hallucinations in small clinical trial
Excerpt:
Research led by Anhui Medical University, China, has found that auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia can be alleviated by magnetic resonance imaging-navigated repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). The findings are based on a six-week, double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized clinical trial involving 62 participants.
Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) are defined as hearing nonexistent spoken voices, a common and debilitating symptom of schizophrenia affecting approximately 75% of patients at initial presentation. AVH can persist despite antipsychotic treatment in up to 30% of cases. This persistence significantly diminishes quality of life and increases risks of suicide and violence, leaving an urgent unmet need for alternative therapies.
In the study, “Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Auditory Verbal Hallucinations in Schizophrenia: A Randomized Clinical Trial,” published in JAMA Network Open, the team investigated the effect of imaging-navigated rTMS on AVH in patients with schizophrenia.