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

NCT ID: NCT04859504

Last Updated: 2024-12-12

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2021-04-01

Study Completion Date

2024-07-31

Brief Summary

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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.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Schizophrenia Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulations Negative Symptoms

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Active tACS

Active tACS will be applied twice daily for 5 days. In each session, dual-channel high-density theta(7Hz) tACS stimulations will be delivered over the right DLPFC (one anodal electrode at F4, between -1.2mA and 1.2 mA; two cathodal electrodes at AF4 and FC6, between -0.6mA and 0.6mA) and cerebellum (one anodal electrode at Oz, between -1 mA and 1mA; two cathodal electrodes at PO3 and PO4, between -0.5mA and 0.5mA) lasting 20 minutes.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

transcranial alternating current stimulation (NE Starstim)

Intervention Type DEVICE

dual-channel theta-tACS over right DLPFC and cerebellum simultaneously

Sham tACS

Sham tACS will be also applied twice daily for 5 days.The parameters of tACS electrodes numbers, locations, and current duration are all the same with active tACS. But sham tACS begin with a fade in over 3s to the peak, followed immediately by no current stimulation for 20 minutes and a fade out of 3s.

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

transcranial alternating current stimulation (NE Starstim)

Intervention Type DEVICE

dual-channel theta-tACS over right DLPFC and cerebellum simultaneously

Interventions

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transcranial alternating current stimulation (NE Starstim)

dual-channel theta-tACS over right DLPFC and cerebellum simultaneously

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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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.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

60 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Shanghai Mental Health Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Yingying Tang, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Shanghai Mental Health Center

Jianhua Sheng, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Shanghai Mental Health Center

Locations

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Zhengjiang Mental Health Center

Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China

Site Status

Shanghai Mental Health Center

Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China

Site Status

Countries

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China

References

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Brady RO Jr, Gonsalvez I, Lee I, Ongur D, Seidman LJ, Schmahmann JD, Eack SM, Keshavan MS, Pascual-Leone A, Halko MA. Cerebellar-Prefrontal Network Connectivity and Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2019 Jul 1;176(7):512-520. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.18040429. Epub 2019 Jan 30.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30696271 (View on PubMed)

Reinhart RMG, Nguyen JA. Working memory revived in older adults by synchronizing rhythmic brain circuits. Nat Neurosci. 2019 May;22(5):820-827. doi: 10.1038/s41593-019-0371-x. Epub 2019 Apr 8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30962628 (View on PubMed)

Smith RC, Md WL, Wang Y, Jiang J, Wang J, Szabo V, Faull R, Jin H, Davis JM, Li C. Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on cognition and symptoms in Chinese patients with schizophrenia✰. Psychiatry Res. 2020 Feb;284:112617. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112617. Epub 2019 Nov 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31806403 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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20191836

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id