Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) for Auditory Hallucinations

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Schizophrenia
• Interventions: Device: tACS for auditory hallucinations via single arm

• Registration Number: NCT05159336
• Lead Sponsor: Shanghai Mental Health Center

Brief Summary

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can modulate and restore neural oscillations that are reduced in patients with psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia. Here, we performed a open-lable study of clinical trial in 30 schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations to show that tACS is effective for auditory hallucinations.

Detailed Description

Each week, the patient rested quietly with her eyes open while receiving alpha-frequency tACS for 40 minutes. Stimulation was delivered at 10 Hz with 1 mA zero-to-peak amplitude in-phase to the location 1 and the location 2 acquired by the MEG technique with 5\*5 cm electrodes. A 5\* 7 cm return electrode was centered on Cz. In total, 20 weeks.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2021-11
• Study First Submitted: 2021-11-10
• Study Start: 2021-11-16
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-12-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-12-02
• Study First Posted: 2021-12-16
• Last Update Posted: 2021-12-16
• Primary Completion: 2023-03-30
• Study Completion: 2023-05-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: UNKNOWN
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

• Schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations was diagnosed by DSM-IV, AHRS >12, Take sufficient antipsychotics for at least 1 month.

Exclusion Criteria

• current pregnancy, major medical illness affecting the central nervous system, significant neurologic disorders, intake of drugs including supplements like essential fatty acids that influence prostaglandins or niacin skin flush flash pathway metabolism, a history of suicide risk, or alcohol or drug abuse.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations	tACS for auditory hallucinations via single arm	For schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations, tACS for implementation intervention

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Evaluation of Auditory Hallucination Scale(the minimum is 0, maximum value is 47, and higher scores mean a worse outcome)	One month	Reduction rate of AHRS scale

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Shanghai Mental Health Center; 🇨🇳 Shanghai, China