Therapeutic Efficacy of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Schizophrenia

March 14, 2018 updated by: Mark Halko, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Therapeutic Efficacy of Cerebellar Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Patients With Schizophrenia

The aim of this study is to look at the effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) as a therapeutic intervention for patients with schizophrenia. The primary outcome is improvement in negative symptoms related to schizophrenia. The investigators are focusing on negative symptoms given their greater resistance to pharmacological and other established therapies. If the investigators trial were to show beneficial effects, its clinical significance would be great.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study builds on the results of a previous phase 1, single-site study in which we demonstrated the safety of image-guided theta burst stimulation (TBS) form of rTMS over the cerebellar vermis (Demirtas-Tatlidede et al., 2010) in eigh patients with schizophrenia.

The primary goal of the present study is to assess efficacy of iTBS to the cerebellar vermis on positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. A second, added goal is to investigate the mechanisms of the expected clinical improvement.

Schizophrenia is a leading cause of mental disability and current treatments still remain only partially successful for many patients. Our underlying hypothesis is that modulation of the cerebellar vermis may enhance activity of the neural systems that sub-serve cognition and emotion, reestablish the disturbed cerebellar regulation in schizophrenic patients, and produce clinical improvement.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

22

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02134
        • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18-65 years
  • Diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM-IV criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) by a board-certified psychiatrist

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Preexisting or progressive neurological disorders
  • Prior neurological procedures
  • Previous head injury
  • Change in antipsychotic medication during the last 4 weeks
  • Been an inpatient in a psychiatry clinic within the last month
  • Any other axis 1 diagnosis
  • Patients may not be actively enrolled in a separate intervention study
  • Patients unable to undergo a brain MRI
  • Any unstable medical condition
  • History of seizures, diagnosis of epilepsy, history of abnormal (epileptiform_ EEG, or family history of treatment resistant epilepsy
  • Possible pregnancy. All female participants of child bearing age are required to have a pregnancy test.
  • Any metal in the brain, skull, or elsewhere unless approved by the responsible MD
  • Any medical devices (ie. cardiac pacemaker, deep brain stimulator, medication infusion pump, cochlear implant, vagal nerve stimulator) unless otherwise approved by the responsible MD
  • Substance abuse (alcohol, amphetamines, cocaine, MDMA [methylenedioxymethamphetamine], ecstasy, PCP [phencyclidine], Angle dust) or dependence within the past six months
  • No medication is an absolute exclusion from TMS. Medications will be reviewed by the responsible MD and a decision about inclusion will be made based on the following: the patient's past medical history, drug dose, history of recent medication changes or duration of treatment, and combination with other CNS (central nervous system) active drugs (the published TMS guidelines review of medications to be considered with TMS)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Active rTMS
High frequency rTMS stimulation of the vermis(lobule VII) of the cerebellum.
Device: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

intermittent Theta Burst (iTBS) pattern (20 trains of 10 bursts given with 8s intervals) will be applied at 80% of active motor threshold. Each participant will receive 600 pulses per session.

Sham participants will undergo the same procedures as those in the active rTMS group.

Other Names:
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
  • Noninvasive Brain Stimulation
Sham Comparator: Sham rTMS
Sham rTMS to the vermis (lobule VII) of the cerebellum.
Device: Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

intermittent Theta Burst (iTBS) pattern (20 trains of 10 bursts given with 8s intervals) will be applied at 80% of active motor threshold. Each participant will receive 600 pulses per session.

Sham participants will undergo the same procedures as those in the active rTMS group.

Other Names:
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
  • Noninvasive Brain Stimulation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Positive Subscale
Time Frame: Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Positive Subscale, a 7 item subscale measuring the presence/absence and severity of positive symptoms of schizophrenia. The minimum score is 7 and the maximum score is 49, with higher values representing greater symptom severity. Change from baseline on the PANSS Positive Subscale can range from -42 to +42; negative values represent an improvement in symptom severity, and positive values represent worsening symptom severity. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed at baseline, after 5 days of treatment, 1 week post treatment, and 3 weeks post treatment.
Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Change From Baseline on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Negative Subscale
Time Frame: Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) Negative Subscale, a 7 item subscale measuring the presence/absence and severity of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The minimum score is 7 and the maximum score is 49, with higher values representing greater symptom severity. Change from baseline on the PANSS Negative Subscale can range from -42 to +42; negative values represent an improvement in symptom severity, and positive values represent worsening symptom severity. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed at baseline, after 5 days of treatment, 1 week post treatment, and 3 weeks post treatment.
Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Change From Baseline on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) General Subscale
Time Frame: Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) General Subscale, a 16 item subscale measuring the presence/absence and severity of general psychopathology of schizophrenia. The minimum score is 16 and the maximum score is 112, with higher values representing greater psychopathology severity. Change from baseline on the PANSS General Subscale can range from -96 to +96; negative values represent an improvement in symptom severity, and positive values represent worsening symptom severity. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed at baseline, after 5 days of treatment, 1 week post treatment, and 3 weeks post treatment.
Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Change From Baseline on the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Severity of Illness
Time Frame: Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Treatment response was evaluated with the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) Scale, which is comprised of two companion one-item measures that use 7-point scales to evaluate severity of psychopathology and improvement from the initiation of treatment; each component is rated separately and the CGI does not yield a global score. The CGI Severity of Illness is a 7-point subscale in which a clinician rates the severity of the patient's illness at the time of assessment. Ratings range from 1 to 7 and higher values represent more severe psychopathology: 1 indicates a normal and not at all ill patient and 7 indicates among the most extremely ill patients. Change from baseline on the CGI Severity of Illness subscale can range from -6 to +6, with negative values representing an improvement in psychopathology and positive values representing worsening psychopathology. Severity of Illness was assessed at baseline, after 5 days of treatment, 1 week post treatment, and 3 weeks post treatment.
Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Clinical Global Impression (CGI) Global Improvement
Time Frame: Last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
Treatment response was evaluated with the Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) Scale, which is comprised of two companion one-item measures that use 7-point scales to evaluate severity of psychopathology and improvement from the initiation of treatment; each component is rated separately and the CGI does not yield a global score. The CGI Global Improvement is a 7-point subscale in which a clinician assesses how much a patient's illness has changed compared to baseline. Ratings range from 1 to 7, with 1 indicating very much improved and 7 indicating very much worse. Change from baseline on the CGI Global Improvement subscale can range from -6 to +6, with negative values representing an improvement in psychopathology and positive values representing worsening psychopathology. Global Improvement was assessed after 5 days of treatment, 1 week post treatment, and 3 weeks post treatment.
Last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline on the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia
Time Frame: Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment
The Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia is a 9-item scale that assesses depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Each item is rated separately and ratings range from 0 to 3. Higher values represent more severe depressive symptoms: 0 indicates an absent symptom and 3 indicates a severe symptom. The overall Calgary Depression Scale score is computed by summing each item. The total Calgary Depression Scale score ranges from 0 to 27, with higher values representing more severe depression in patients with schizophrenia. Change from baseline on the Calgary Depression Scale can range from -27 to +27, with negative values representing an improvement in depressive symptoms and positive values representing worsening depressive symptom severity. Depression was assessed at baseline, after 5 days of treatment, 1 week post treatment, and 3 weeks post treatment.
Before treatment (baseline), last day of treatment (after 5 days of treatment), 1 and 3 weeks post treatment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Collaborators

Sidney R. Baer, Jr. Foundation

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Mark Halko, Ph.D., Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

February 1, 2012

Primary Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

November 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

March 1, 2012

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 9, 2012

First Posted (Estimate)

March 13, 2012

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

April 12, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

March 14, 2018

Last Verified

March 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2011P000373

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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