Targeting Cerebellum to Treat Psychosis: a Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Study
Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Bipolar Disorder I
About this trial
This is an interventional basic science trial for Schizophrenia focused on measuring time perception, executive function, psychosis, mood symptoms
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients
- Men and women
- Ages 18-50 years
- Patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (SZ), schizoaffective disorder (SZA), or psychotic bipolar disorder (BP).
- On a stable psychiatric medication regimen for at least a month prior to and during study participation
Healthy Controls:
- Men and women
- Ages 18-50 years
- Without major psychiatric illness
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients
- Any change in psychiatric medications within a month prior to and during study participation
- Legal or mental incompetency
- Intellectual disability
- Substance use disorder (abuse or dependence) with active use within the last 3 months
- Significant medical or neurological illness
- Prior neurosurgical procedure
- History of seizures
- History of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or clinical TMS within the past three months
- History of participation in a cerebellar TMS study
- Implanted cardiac pacemakers
Patients who have conductive, ferromagnetic or other magnetic-sensitive metals implanted in their head or neck, or are non-removable and within 30 cm of the treatment coil. These include:
- Aneurysm clips or coils
- Carotid or cerebral stents
- Metallic devices implanted in the head (e.g. Implanted pacemaker, medication pump, vagal stimulator, deep brain stimulator, TENS unit, or ventriculo-peritoneal shunt)
- Magnetically active dental implants
- Cochlear/otologic implants
- CSF shunts
- Ferromagnetic ocular implants
- Pellets, bullets, fragments less than 30 cm from the coil
- Facial tattoos with metallic ink, permanent makeup less than 30 cm from the coil
- Pregnant women
Healthy Controls:
- History of major psychiatric illness, including psychosis
- Has a first-degree relative with psychosis
- Active use of psychotropic medications
- Legal or mental incompetency
- Intellectual disability
- Substance use disorder (abuse or dependence) with active use within the last 3 months
- Significant medical or neurological illness
- Prior neurosurgical procedure
- History of seizures
- History of ECT treatment or clinical TMS within the past three months
- History of participation in a cerebellar TMS study
- Implanted cardiac pacemakers
Individuals who have conductive, ferromagnetic or other magnetic-sensitive metals implanted in their head or neck, or are non-removable and within 30 cm of the treatment coil. These include:
- Aneurysm clips or coils
- Carotid or cerebral stents
- Metallic devices implanted in the head (e.g. Implanted pacemaker, medication pump, vagal stimulator, deep brain stimulator, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit, or ventriculo-peritoneal shunt)
- Magnetically active dental implants
- Cochlear/otologic implants
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts
- Ferromagnetic ocular implants
- Pellets, bullets, fragments less than 30 cm from the coil
- Facial tattoos with metallic ink, permanent makeup less than 30 cm from the coil
- Pregnant women
Sites / Locations
- McLean Hospital
- Massachusetts General Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
Experimental
Active Comparator
Sham Comparator
Intermittent TBS (iTBS)
Continuous TBS (cTBS)
Sham TBS
Single session of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (600 pulses in blocks of 2s, separated by 8s of pause) to cerebellar vermis.
Single session of continuous theta-burst stimulation of 600 pulses to cerebellar vermis.
Single session, using the exact same procedures as the active arms but with a sham coil, which is designed to induce the same nonspecific sensory effects of TMS (auditory and somatosensory activation) without inducing the neuromodulatory magnetic fields.