Clinical Trial: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Anodal & Cathodal tDCS for Treatment of Resistant Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

Brief Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine whether trans Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is effective in the treatment of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.

Detailed Summary:

The project will investigate the use of a novel technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. tDCS permit the application of an extremely weak continuous electrical current to the brain through an anode and a cathode applied on the scalp. Anodal stimulation appears to increase brain activity whereas cathodal stimulation has the opposite effect.

Using anodal & cathodal tDCS the investigators aimed to treat auditory hallucinations, a symptoms of schizophrenia. The investigators plan to apply tDCS such that it can simultaneously increased activity in the frontal brain areas and reduce activity over temporoparietal cortex, 2 areas involved in the physiopathology of the disease. Real active stimulation will be compare to a sham condition in 60 patients (30 in each group). 30 patients will be included in a French center (Hospital le Vinatier, sponsor of the study) and 30 in Tunisia (laboratory "vulnerability to psychosis" (Pr Gaha) à Monastir).

Sponsor: Hôpital le Vinatier

Current Primary Outcome: Auditory hallucinations measured by Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (Hoffman et al., 2003) [ Time Frame: before, after 1 week of treatment and 2 times follow up (1 & 3 months) ]

Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Neurochemical impact of treatment measured by 1H-MRS (proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy), DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) and resting MRI [ Time Frame: 3 times: before treatment, immediately after treatment and a last evaluation 1 month after ]

Original Secondary Outcome: Neurochemical impact of treatment measured by 1H-MRS, DTI and resting MRI [ Time Frame: 3 times, before treatment, immediatly after treatment and a last evaluation 1 month after ]

Information By: Hôpital le Vinatier

Dates:
Date Received: March 26, 2009
Date Started: February 2, 2009
Date Completion:
Last Updated: February 28, 2017
Last Verified: February 2017