Schizophrenia: Treating refractory auditory hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation

Contact name: Melissa Maher

Phone: (416)-535-8501 x 6434

Fax: (416)-979-6936

Email: melissa_maher@camh.net

Disorder: Schizophrenia

Geographic location: Toronto Ontario, Canada

Other keywords: rTMS, transcranial, auditory hallucinations, schizophrenia

Participant compensation: $350

Time commitment required: 5 days/wk for 4 wks and once/mo for a further 6 months

Drug trial: No

Recruitment end date (approximate): July 25, 2006

Study criteria (i.e., age or gender requirements):
Subjects must be between the ages of 18 to 65 years of age and diagnosed with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. They should be experiencing treatment-resistant auditory hallucinations – i.e., daily auditory hallucinations despite 2 adequate trials of at least 2 antipsychotic medications and on stable doses of antipsychotic medication for a minimum of 4 weeks

Exclusion criteria:
-no history of seizures
-no unstable medical condition (ie: stroke, hypertension, diabetes, coronary
artery disease or thyroid problems)
-no diagnosable neurologic condition
-no alcohol or drug abuse within the past month; no alcohol or drug dependence
within the last 6 months
-no other current Axis I diagnosis
-no psychosurgery history
-no history of brain injury with loss of consciousness of one hour or more
-normal or corrected 20/20 vision
-no possibility of pregnancy
-voluntary
-competent to consent according to the treating psychiatrist and the MacCAT
-No active suicidal / homicidal ideation

Brief description of study:
The purpose of this study is to explore repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as a new potential treatment option for auditory hallucinations for individuals diagnosed with Schizophrenia.
Your participation would involve being assigned to one of two treatment groups. One of these groups will not receive “active” treatment at the beginning of the study. However, all participants will eventually receive active treatment. Treatment requires approximately 20 minutes per day for 4 weeks. In addition, you will have several visits for assessment of your symptoms and thinking skills. These visits will require part to full day attendance and will occur throughout the study and at several points following the completion of treatment (7 months total). Participants will also have one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan at the beginning of the study.

Additional information:
An EEG will also be performed 5 times throughout the study (measures brain activity)