“School of Cognitive”
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| Paper IPM / Cognitive / 18117 |
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| Abstract: | |||||
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Background: This study investigated the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targeting prefrontal and temporoparietal regions in the left hemisphere on reducing clinical symptoms (auditory hallucinations) and improving working memory improvement in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ).
Methods: In this randomized, sham-controlled study, 44 patients with schizophrenia were assigned to active tDCS (n=22) and sham tDCS (n=22) groups. Thirteen patients did not complete the experiment, resulting in analysis of 31 patients (active tDCS = 16, sham tDCS = 15). The study investigated the effects of 10 sessions of 2 mA tDCS (20 minutes each), conducted twice daily with a 2-hour interval. The anode was placed over the left DLPFC and the cathode over the temporoparietal area. Primary clinical outcomes included positive and negative scores measured by PANSS, auditory hallucinations measured by AHRS, and cognitive performance assessed via working memory computerized test from CANTAB. All measures were evaluated at baseline, after the 10th session, and at 1 and 3 months post-intervention.
Results: The repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant groupÃtime interaction regarding the reduction of positive and negative symptoms, as well as auditory hallucinations. In the active tDCS group, positive symptoms decreased by 22%, 20%, and 15%, while negative symptoms dropped by 31%, 24%, and 21% after the intervention and at the 1-month and 3-month follow-ups, respectively. In contrast, both symptom types in the sham group decreased by 5% or less. Auditory hallucinations were reduced by 25% in the active group and by 8% in the sham group after the intervention. There was no significant between-group improvement in working memory performance.
Conclusion: While prefrontal-temporoparietal tDCS might have the potential for therapeutic purposes (especially for reducing auditory hallucination) in SCZ, it did not improved cognitive function in SCZ patients.
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