Significant improvement in treatment resistant auditory verbal hallucinations after 5 days of double-blind, randomized, sham controlled, fronto-temporal, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS): A replication/extension study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a potentially novel treatment for antipsychotic-resistant auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) in schizophrenia. Nevertheless, results have been mixed across studies.

Methods

89 schizophrenia/schizoaffective subjects (active: 47; Sham: 42) were randomized to five days of twice-daily 20-min active tDCS vs. sham treatments across two recruitment sites. AVH severity was assessed using the Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (AHRS) total score. To assess target engagement, MRI was obtained in a sub sample.

Results

We observed a statistically significant, moderate effect-size change in AHRS total score across one-week and one-month favoring active treatment following covariation for baseline symptoms and antipsyc

SUBMITTER: Kantrowitz JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9896410 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul - Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature