Effect of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Resting State Brain Activity in Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia

About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Schizophrenia focused on measuring Schizophrenia, Auditory hallucinations (AH), Phantom sound perception, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), Percent habituation in the P50 amplitude with 250 ms ISI
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria for schizophrenic subjects.
- Male and female patients, 21-65 years of age, of all races and ethnicities
- Diagnosis of auditory hallucinations (AH) associated with schizophrenia (verified at screening)
- Must report experiencing the presence of their phantom auditory perception for at least 6 months
- Female Subjects of childbearing age must take a pregnancy test to rule out pregnancy prior to participating in this study and during the study.
- Willing to provide informed consent to participate in all study interventions and assessments
- Subjects must have the capacity to sign and informed consent or a legal authorized representative (LAR) must sign in addition to the subject.
Inclusion Criteria for control subjects.
- Male and female patients, 21-65 years of age, of all races and ethnicities
- Willing to provide informed consent to participate in all study interventions and assessments
Exclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria for schizophrenic subjects:
- Subjects with significant neurological disease, acoustic neuromas or glomus tumors, or other contraindicated neuropathology.
- Claustrophobia, or the inability to lie still in a confined space
Additional exclusion criteria for repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) include the following:
- a personal or family history of epilepsy;
- a personal history of head injury, aneurysm, stroke, previous cranial neurosurgery, neurological or psychiatric disorders other than schizophrenia, or migraines
- recent use of cocaine or alcohol
- metal implants in the head or neck
- a pacemaker
- pregnancy (or the possibility of pregnancy)
- medications that lower seizure threshold (tricyclic antidepressants or bupropion) or reduce cortical excitation (anticonvulsants or benzodiazepines).
- Persons under 21 years of age (children) are excluded because the effect of rTMS on children is unknown, in contrast to adults, who have been well studied.
Exclusion items specific to Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI):
- magnetic metallic implants
- electronic or magnetic implants, such as pacemakers, as these may stop working
- nonremovable dental implants
- permanent makeup or tattoos with metallic dyes
- a positive pregnancy test (for females)
- a self-reported history of loss of consciousness greater than 10 minutes
- physical disabilities that prohibit task performance
- Any other condition that the investigator believes might put the participant at risk
Exclusion Criteria for control subjects:
- Subjects with significant neurological disease, acoustic neuromas or glomus tumors, or other contraindicated neuropathology.
- Claustrophobia, or the inability to lie still in a confined space
- Magnetic metallic implants
- Electronic or magnetic implants, such as pacemakers, as these may stop working
- Nonremovable dental implants
- Permanent makeup or tattoos with metallic dyes
- A positive pregnancy test (for females)
- A self-reported history of loss of consciousness greater than 10 minutes
- Physical disabilities that prohibit task performance
- Any other condition that the investigator believes might put the participant at risk
Sites / Locations
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Experimental
Patients
Controls
Patients with Schizophrenia who meet entry criteria for the study and first receive active repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for four days over a control site located at the vertex and then are randomized to receive repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for four days over the temporal cortex at both 1 Hz and 10 Hz.
These subjects are normal controls without schizophrenia who receive sham, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation at 1 Hz for two days and then receive active, repetitive Transcranial Magnetic stimulation for two days. All stimulation is delivered at the control site located over the vertex.