Project Summary

Zafaris Daskalakis, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P. (Young Investigator 2006) of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in the University of Toronto, aims to study the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on working memory (WM) performance in schizophrenia. WM performance remains one of the most significant cognitive impairments in patients with schizophrenia and is an invaluable phenotype for evaluating the pathophysiology of this disorder. For example, WM deficits have been related to impaired dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) functioning as measured through PET. Recently, WM performance has been shown to rely on the synchronization of pyramidal neuron activation, a process that depends on cortical inhibitory neurotransmission mediated through gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons. rTMS has been demonstrated as an effective treatment for schizophrenia patients and, in healthy subjects, has been shown to increase GABA-mediated cortical inhibition and improve cognitive performance. In this study, Dr. Daskalakis will evaluate rTMS as a treatment for WM deficits in schizophrenia patients and determine if improvement is mediated through rTMS-enhanced gamma synchronization.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

Search Again