Can Transcranial Electrical Stimulation enhance working memory in schizophrenia and healthy controls?

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Schizophrenia / Schizoaffective disorder; Mental Health - Schizophrenia

• Registration Number: ACTRN12612000217808
• Lead Sponsor: Dr. Kate Hoy

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2012-02-21
• Last Update Posted: 13 January 2020

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 40

Inclusion Criteria

Participants with schizophrenia will be included if they:
- are voluntary and competent to consent
- have a diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder as confirmed by the Structure Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV (SCID-IV)

Healthy individuals will be included if they:
- have capacity to consent
- have no personal history of psychiatric illness (lifetime) - based on self report.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with schizophrenia will be excluded if they:
- have a a DSM-IV history of substance abuse or dependence in the last 6 months
- have a concomitant major and/or unstable medical or neurologic illness
- are currently taking carbamazepine
- are currently pregnant or lactating
- have metal anywhere in the head, except the mouth (this includes metallic objects such as screws and clips from surgical procedures)

Healthy participants will be excluded if they:
- have an unstable medical condition, neurological disorder or are currently pregnant or lactating
- have metal in the cranium, a pacemaker, cochlear implant medication pump or other electronic device

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
A statistically significant improvement in performance on a working memory task (i.e. N-Back) following application of tDCS/tACS stimulation, both in patients with schizophrenia/ schizoaffective disorder and in healthy controls.[Before and after application of tDCS/tACS stimulation];A statistically significant improvement in performance on the N-Back working memory task following application of anodal tDCS or tACS stimulation, compared with sham stimulation, both in patients with schizophrenia/ schizoaffective disorder and in healthy controls.[Comparison of conditions - Session 1 vs Session 2 vs Session 3.<br><br>Participants' performance on the N-Back task will be measured for each session, both during and immediately after tDCS/tACS/sham stimulation. At the end of the trial, a final analysis will be conducted to compare participants' performance on the N-back across the three stimulation conditions.]

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
il[Nil]