BACKGROUND:Auditory hallucinations are often resistant to treatment and can produce significant distress and behavioral difficulties. A preliminary report based on 24 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder indicated greater improvement in auditory hallucinations following 1-hertz left temporoparietal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) compared to sham stimulation. Data from the full 50-subject sample incorporating 26 new patients are now presented to more comprehensively assess safety/tolerability, efficacy and moderators of this intervention. METHODS:Right-handed patients experiencing auditory hallucinations at least 5 times per day were randomly allocated to receive either rTMS or sham stimulation. A total of 132 minutes of rTMS was administered over 9 days at 90% motor threshold using a double-masked, sham-controlled, parallel design. RESULTS: Hallucination Change Score was more improved for rTMS relative to sham stimulation (p = .008) as was the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (p = .0004). Hallucination frequency was significantly decreased during rTMS relative to sham stimulation (p = .0014) and was a moderator of rTMS effects (p = .008). There was no evidence of neurocognitive impairment associated with rTMS. CONCLUSIONS: Left temporoparietal 1-hertz rTMS warrants further study as an intervention for auditory hallucinations. Data suggest that this intervention selectively alters neurobiological factors determining frequency of these hallucinations.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND:Auditory hallucinations are often resistant to treatment and can produce significant distress and behavioral difficulties. A preliminary report based on 24 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder indicated greater improvement in auditory hallucinations following 1-hertz left temporoparietal repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) compared to sham stimulation. Data from the full 50-subject sample incorporating 26 new patients are now presented to more comprehensively assess safety/tolerability, efficacy and moderators of this intervention. METHODS: Right-handed patients experiencing auditory hallucinations at least 5 times per day were randomly allocated to receive either rTMS or sham stimulation. A total of 132 minutes of rTMS was administered over 9 days at 90% motor threshold using a double-masked, sham-controlled, parallel design. RESULTS:Hallucination Change Score was more improved for rTMS relative to sham stimulation (p = .008) as was the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (p = .0004). Hallucination frequency was significantly decreased during rTMS relative to sham stimulation (p = .0014) and was a moderator of rTMS effects (p = .008). There was no evidence of neurocognitive impairment associated with rTMS. CONCLUSIONS: Left temporoparietal 1-hertz rTMS warrants further study as an intervention for auditory hallucinations. Data suggest that this intervention selectively alters neurobiological factors determining frequency of these hallucinations.
Authors: Berthold Langguth; Tobias Kleinjung; Elmar Frank; Michael Landgrebe; Philipp Sand; Jana Dvorakova; Ulrich Frick; Peter Eichhammer; Göran Hajak Journal: Exp Brain Res Date: 2007-12-07 Impact factor: 1.972
Authors: Robert W Buchanan; Julie Kreyenbuhl; Deanna L Kelly; Jason M Noel; Douglas L Boggs; Bernard A Fischer; Seth Himelhoch; Beverly Fang; Eunice Peterson; Patrick R Aquino; William Keller Journal: Schizophr Bull Date: 2009-12-02 Impact factor: 9.306