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tACS for Working Memory in Schizophrenia

8 juillet 2026 mis à jour par: Renrong Wu, Central South University

Efficacy and Mechanisms of Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation in Improving Working Memory in Patients With Schizophrenia

This study is a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled crossover trial enrolling 30 schizophrenia patients, each receiving one active and one sham tACS session (7-day washout), targeting P3/P4 at individual alpha frequency (2mA, 30min) during a working memory task, with accuracy and reaction time as primary outcomes, alongside EEG and neurophysiological measures, to test the efficacy and mechanisms of individualized alpha-tACS on working memory.

Aperçu de l'étude

Statut

Recrutement

Les conditions

Intervention / Traitement

Description détaillée

This study is a randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled, crossover exploratory trial that plans to enroll 30 inpatients with schizophrenia, randomized 1:1 into two groups, with all participants receiving one active and one sham tACS session in a crossover manner separated by a 7-day washout. Stimulation targets the parietal P3/P4 sites at individual alpha frequency, with an intensity of 2 mA and a duration of 30 minutes per session, delivered concurrently with a working memory task (SIRP). Primary outcomes are SIRP accuracy and reaction time, with concurrent task-state EEG recording, along with assessments of clinical symptoms, cognitive function, and neurophysiological markers including ASSR, MMN, and P300. The study aims to explore the efficacy and underlying neural mechanisms of individualized alpha-tACS in improving working memory in schizophrenia.

Type d'étude

Interventionnel

Inscription (Estimé)

30

Phase

  • N'est pas applicable

Contacts et emplacements

Cette section fournit les coordonnées de ceux qui mènent l'étude et des informations sur le lieu où cette étude est menée.

Coordonnées de l'étude

Lieux d'étude

  • Chine
    • Hunan
      • Changsha, Hunan, Chine, 410011
        • Recrutement
        • The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University
        • Contact:

Critères de participation

Les chercheurs recherchent des personnes qui correspondent à une certaine description, appelée critères d'éligibilité. Certains exemples de ces critères sont l'état de santé général d'une personne ou des traitements antérieurs.

Critère d'éligibilité

Âges éligibles pour étudier

  • Adulte

Accepte les volontaires sains

Non

La description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 18-50 years, meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia, confirmed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5).
  • Spatial span T-score <40 on the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB).
  • Taking 1-2 antipsychotic medications, with stable dosage for at least 1 week prior to enrollment. No use of mood stabilizers, antidepressants, or excessive benzodiazepines (lorazepam equivalent >2 mg/day). The type and dosage of antipsychotic medications remain unchanged during the treatment period.
  • Impaired functioning in daily activities.
  • Willing to participate in this study and provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previously diagnosed with or comorbid any other DSM-5 mental disorder besides schizophrenia.
  • Presence of significant mood symptoms or substance use disorder (other than caffeine and/or tobacco).
  • Presence of any contraindication to transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).
  • Received other forms of electrical or magnetic stimulation therapy within 1 month prior to enrollment.
  • History or current presence of any major physical illness, neurological disorder, or traumatic brain injury that may affect brain structure or function.
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or women planning to become pregnant during the study period.

Plan d'étude

Cette section fournit des détails sur le plan d'étude, y compris la façon dont l'étude est conçue et ce que l'étude mesure.

Comment l'étude est-elle conçue ?

Détails de conception

  • Objectif principal: Traitement
  • Répartition: Randomisé
  • Modèle interventionnel: Affectation parallèle
  • Masquage: Seul

Armes et Interventions

Groupe de participants / Bras
Intervention / Traitement
Comparateur factice: sham group
sham stimulation
Dispositif: sham stimulation
Sham stimulation provides only a 15-second ramp-up and ramp-down current at the beginning and end of each session to mimic the initial tingling or itching sensation on the scalp produced by real stimulation, but delivers no effective stimulation current during the main phase of the task period.
Expérimental: active group
transcranial alternating current stimulation
Dispositif: transcranial alternating current stimulation
For montage 1, active electrode at P3 (10-10 system), return electrodes at P1, P5, PO3, CP3. For montage 2, active electrode at P4, return electrodes at P2, P6, PO4, CP4. Conductive paste ensures impedance <10 kΩ. Individual alpha frequency is used, calculated before each session from mean EEG at P3/P4 during SIRP task. Stimulation intensity is 2 mA (peak-to-zero) via electric field modeling. Stimulation is delivered during SIRP task, 30 min total per session (including 15s ramp-up/down), with continuous sine wave output.

Que mesure l'étude ?

Principaux critères de jugement

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Working Memory Accuracy
Délai: Day 1 (baseline, prior to first intervention); within 15 minutes after Session 1; Day 9 (prior to second intervention, after 7-day washout); within 15 minutes after Session 2.
Assessment of task accuracy on the Sternberg Item Recognition Paradigm (SIRP). Participants are required to judge whether a probe stimulus belongs to a previously memorized set, with memory set sizes of 1 and 5. The outcome is measured as the percentage of correct responses (0-100%) across all trials, with higher scores indicating better working memory performance.
Day 1 (baseline, prior to first intervention); within 15 minutes after Session 1; Day 9 (prior to second intervention, after 7-day washout); within 15 minutes after Session 2.
Working Memory Reaction Time
Délai: Day 1 (baseline, prior to first intervention); within 15 minutes after Session 1; Day 9 (prior to second intervention, after 7-day washout); within 15 minutes after Session 2.
Assessment of response speed on the Sternberg Item Recognition Paradigm (SIRP). Participants are required to judge whether a probe stimulus belongs to a previously memorized set, with memory set sizes of 1 and 5. The outcome is measured as the mean response latency for correct responses only, calculated from stimulus onset to the participant's button press, with shorter times indicating faster processing speed.
Day 1 (baseline, prior to first intervention); within 15 minutes after Session 1; Day 9 (prior to second intervention, after 7-day washout); within 15 minutes after Session 2.

Mesures de résultats secondaires

Mesure des résultats
Description de la mesure
Délai
Changes in MCCB Performance
Délai: Baseline, on the day after each of the two interventions
Assessment of cognitive function using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), a standardized cognitive assessment tool designed for schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric conditions. The MCCB evaluates 9 cognitive domains: attention, information processing speed, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, spatial working memory, reasoning and problem solving, social cognition, executive function, and fine motor skills. The overall cognitive composite score ranges from 20 to 100 (T-score), with higher scores indicating better cognitive performance.
Baseline, on the day after each of the two interventions
Changes in Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS) Scores
Délai: Before and one week after each of the two interventions.
Scores range from 30 to 210, with higher scores indicating more severe positive and negative symptoms.
Before and one week after each of the two interventions.
Changes in Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) Scores
Délai: Before and one week after each of the two interventions.
Scores range from 0 to 120; higher scores indicate more severe negative symptoms.
Before and one week after each of the two interventions.
Changes in Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS) Scores
Délai: Before and one week after each of the two interventions.
Scores range from 0 to 27; higher scores indicate more severe affective symptoms.
Before and one week after each of the two interventions.
Changes in Brain Function
Délai: Baseline, on the day after each of the two interventions.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), based on blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast, can detect changes in blood oxygenation and analyze changes in brain function after intervention.
Baseline, on the day after each of the two interventions.
Changes in Neuroelectrophysiological Signals
Délai: Baseline, 30 minutes after each of the two interventions.
Changes in neuroelectrophysiological signals are collected through task-based electroencephalography (EEG).
Baseline, 30 minutes after each of the two interventions.
Changes in 40Hz Auditory Steady-State Response (40Hz-ASSR)
Délai: Baseline, 30 minutes after each of the two interventions.
The 40Hz auditory steady-state response recorded by EEG, including evoked power and inter-trial phase coherence, will be measured. The unit of measurement for evoked power is μV², and for coherence is unitless.
Baseline, 30 minutes after each of the two interventions.
Changes in Mismatch Negativity (MMN)
Délai: Baseline, 30 minutes after each of the two interventions.
Mismatch negativity amplitude recorded by EEG using an oddball paradigm will be measured. The unit of measurement is microvolts (μV).
Baseline, 30 minutes after each of the two interventions.
Changes in P300 Event-Related Potential
Délai: Baseline, 30 minutes after each of the two interventions.
P300 amplitude recorded by EEG using an oddball paradigm will be measured. The unit of measurement is microvolts (μV).
Baseline, 30 minutes after each of the two interventions.
Hallucination and Delusion Visual Analog Scale (HD-VAS) Score
Délai: Within 15 minutes after completion of Session 1; within 15 minutes after completion of Session 2.
Assessment of acute post-intervention changes in hallucination and delusion severity using a patient-rated visual analog scale (VAS). The scale consists of a 0-100 mm horizontal line, on which participants mark their current symptom severity. The distance (in millimeters) from the left anchor ("no symptoms") to the participant's mark is measured with a ruler. This scale serves as a supplementary measure to the PANSS to capture immediate symptom changes following each intervention. Scores range from 0 to 100 mm, with higher scores indicating more severe hallucinations and delusions.
Within 15 minutes after completion of Session 1; within 15 minutes after completion of Session 2.

Collaborateurs et enquêteurs

C'est ici que vous trouverez les personnes et les organisations impliquées dans cette étude.

Parrainer

Central South University

Dates d'enregistrement des études

Ces dates suivent la progression des dossiers d'étude et des soumissions de résultats sommaires à ClinicalTrials.gov. Les dossiers d'étude et les résultats rapportés sont examinés par la Bibliothèque nationale de médecine (NLM) pour s'assurer qu'ils répondent à des normes de contrôle de qualité spécifiques avant d'être publiés sur le site Web public.

Dates principales de l'étude

Début de l'étude (Estimé)

6 juillet 2026

Achèvement primaire (Estimé)

31 octobre 2026

Achèvement de l'étude (Estimé)

31 décembre 2026

Dates d'inscription aux études

Première soumission

2 juillet 2026

Première soumission répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

8 juillet 2026

Première publication (Réel)

14 juillet 2026

Mises à jour des dossiers d'étude

Dernière mise à jour publiée (Réel)

14 juillet 2026

Dernière mise à jour soumise répondant aux critères de contrôle qualité

8 juillet 2026

Dernière vérification

1 juillet 2026

Plus d'information

Termes liés à cette étude

Mots clés

Termes MeSH pertinents supplémentaires

Autres numéros d'identification d'étude

  • LYG20260081

Plan pour les données individuelles des participants (IPD)

Prévoyez-vous de partager les données individuelles des participants (DPI) ?

NON

Informations sur les médicaments et les dispositifs, documents d'étude

Étudie un produit pharmaceutique réglementé par la FDA américaine

Non

Étudie un produit d'appareil réglementé par la FDA américaine

Non

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