Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Studies of Auditory Hallucinations, Negative Symptoms and Cognition in Schizophrenia
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Schizophrenia
- Sponsor
- University of California, Davis
- Enrollment
- 5
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in Symptom Severity of Negative Symptoms
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- last year
Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this study is to test the impact of non-invasive brain stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), on auditory hallucinations, negative symptoms and cognition in schizophrenia. Clinical measures will be used to assess clinical symptoms and cognitive performance to test the hypothesis that a course of tDCS can reduce auditory hallucinations and negative symptoms in schizophrenia.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Participants must be able to sufficiently speak and understand English so as to be able to understand and complete cognitive tasks.
- •All subjects must have the ability to give valid informed consent.
- •No children under the age of 18 will be recruited.
- •Diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizophreniform, or schizoaffective disorder
- •Stable outpatient or partial hospital status
- •Normal IQ (\>70; IQ will be measured by administering the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI) test)
Exclusion Criteria
- •Pacemakers
- •Implanted electrical (brain and spinal) stimulators
- •Implanted defibrillator
- •Metallic implants
- •Skin damage or skin conditions such as eczema at the sites where electrodes will be placed
- •Hair styles hindering the placement of electrodes
- •Cranial pathologies
- •Head trauma
- •Mental retardation
- •Any known history of neurological disorders (including epilepsy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke, cerebral palsy, any DSM-5 axis I psychiatric disorder (for healthy control subjects), autism)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in Symptom Severity of Negative Symptoms
Time Frame: Assessment begins with the initial baseline interview and concludes after a 2-week follow-up assessment using the same clinical measures.
Participants will undergo diagnostic (clinical) interviews to rate their symptom severity using measures including, but not limited to, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (rated 1-7, with a high rating indicating more severe symptoms), the Scale of the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (rated 0-5, with a high rating indicating more severe symptoms), and the Scale for the Assessment or Negative Symptoms (rated 0-5, with a high rating indicating more severe symptoms).
Change in Symptom Severity of Auditory Hallucinations
Time Frame: Assessment begins with the initial baseline interview and concludes after a 2-week follow-up assessment using the same clinical measures.
Participants will undergo diagnostic (clinical) interviews to rate their symptom severity using measures including, but not limited to, the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (rated 1-7, with a high rating indicating more severe symptoms), the Scale of the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (rated 0-5, with a high rating indicating more severe symptoms), and the Scale for the Assessment or Negative Symptoms (rated 0-5, with a high rating indicating more severe symptoms).