Non-Invasive Direct Current Stimulation for Cognition in Schizophrenia
| Status: | Recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Schizophrenia, Psychiatric |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 18 - 50 |
| Updated: | 1/25/2018 |
| Start Date: | May 2016 |
| End Date: | February 2019 |
| Contact: | Cristin Rodriguez, BS |
| Email: | Cristin.Rodriguez@bcm.edu |
| Phone: | 713-798-7786 |
This study proposes to assess the effect of trans-cranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)
on cognitive control, working memory, functional, clinical, and cognitive outcomes in
schizophrenia patients.
on cognitive control, working memory, functional, clinical, and cognitive outcomes in
schizophrenia patients.
Cognitive functions and EEG correlates will be thoroughly assessed in schizophrenia patients
undergoing a tDCS treatment and compared with patients receiving a placebo stimulation. The
treatment will involve 20 minutes of tDCS application to the left prefrontal and
temporo-parietal cortex, twice a day for five days, a procedure shown to be effective in
improving other symptoms of psychosis such as negative symptoms and hallucinations.
Critically, in addition to standard neuropsychological testing, cognitive assessments will
involve tasks that tap cognitive control and working memory, impairments in which comprise
two of the core cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia and which have been linked to brain
rhythm disturbances measurable by EEG recordings. Investigators will also assess changes in
functional outcome by tDCS and investigate relationships between improvements in cognition,
brain rhythms and functional outcome. All these assessments will occur just prior to tDCS
application, just after completion of the tDCS series, and then again at 2 months follow-up.
There will be two separate independent groups of patients who will be randomized to active
versus sham treatments. The first group will have early course schizophrenia (less than 5
years of antipsychotic treatment; n=40). The second group will be chronic schizophrenia
(greater than 5 years of antipsychotic treatment; n=40).
Relevance
This proposal would be the first integrated study of the effects of tDCS on cognitive
symptoms, brain function and functional outcome in schizophrenia. A positive outcome would
represent a marked improvement in clinical therapeutics for cognition in psychosis and
provide a powerful tool for improving functional outcome in this debilitating disorder.
Understanding the impact on brain rhythm disturbances could support the study of similar
stimulation-based therapeutic approaches to other neuropsychiatric disorders that shows
similar disturbances in cognition and brain rhythms activity, such as bipolar disorder and
autism.
undergoing a tDCS treatment and compared with patients receiving a placebo stimulation. The
treatment will involve 20 minutes of tDCS application to the left prefrontal and
temporo-parietal cortex, twice a day for five days, a procedure shown to be effective in
improving other symptoms of psychosis such as negative symptoms and hallucinations.
Critically, in addition to standard neuropsychological testing, cognitive assessments will
involve tasks that tap cognitive control and working memory, impairments in which comprise
two of the core cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia and which have been linked to brain
rhythm disturbances measurable by EEG recordings. Investigators will also assess changes in
functional outcome by tDCS and investigate relationships between improvements in cognition,
brain rhythms and functional outcome. All these assessments will occur just prior to tDCS
application, just after completion of the tDCS series, and then again at 2 months follow-up.
There will be two separate independent groups of patients who will be randomized to active
versus sham treatments. The first group will have early course schizophrenia (less than 5
years of antipsychotic treatment; n=40). The second group will be chronic schizophrenia
(greater than 5 years of antipsychotic treatment; n=40).
Relevance
This proposal would be the first integrated study of the effects of tDCS on cognitive
symptoms, brain function and functional outcome in schizophrenia. A positive outcome would
represent a marked improvement in clinical therapeutics for cognition in psychosis and
provide a powerful tool for improving functional outcome in this debilitating disorder.
Understanding the impact on brain rhythm disturbances could support the study of similar
stimulation-based therapeutic approaches to other neuropsychiatric disorders that shows
similar disturbances in cognition and brain rhythms activity, such as bipolar disorder and
autism.
Inclusion Criteria:
Early course psychosis:
- DSM-V diagnosis of Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder, or schizophreniform
disorder.
- ages 18-50 years
- within first five years of anti-psychotic treatment
- on stable doses of medication for at least one month
- not taking benzodiazepines or mood stabilizers.
- Mild to severe cognitive impairment in MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (composite
scores < 40)
Chronic psychosis:
Same as early course psychosis but >5 years of antipsychotic treatment
Exclusion Criteria:
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-Version V (DSM-V) diagnosis of mental retardation
- significant head injury
- medical illness affecting brain function or structure
- pregnancy or postpartum (<6 weeks after delivery or miscarriage)
- significant neurologic disorder (e.g seizure disorder)
- inability to provide informed consent
- significant color blindness that affects task performance
- Comorbidity for DSM-V substance abuse disorder within the past one month
- Temporal relation between illness onset and head injury
- Taking benzodiazepines or mood stabilizers (lithium allowed)
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