An interventional study of Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)- anodal group and Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)- sham group in Patients With Schizophrenia, sponsored by Xiaofeng Ma. Recruiting at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-08-20.
Sponsored by Xiaofeng Ma · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Temporal order memory deficits are a central feature of cognitive abnormalities in schizophrenia. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributes to the extraction of temporal contextual information. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and interim testing have been shown to be external techniques that can improve temporal order memory deficits in schizophrenia patients. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can also improve cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia. This study intends to investigate the learning effects of temporal order memory under two learning strategies during tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) interventions in patients with schizophrenia, to investigate whether it can promote the retention of temporal order memory in patients, and to compare the differences in the effects of the two intervention modalities.
This study was planned to recruit 75 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia from the hospital.
A single online tDCS (2 mA × 20 min) and tACS (1.5 mA × 20 min, theta rhythm) intervention was conducted during which participants performed a temporal-sequence memory task for visual pictures, and test scores were compared for each stimulus type on an intermediate test and repetition of the two strategies of learning.
Treatment was conducted by two examiners, and participants' memory levels were tested before the start of the experiment using a flanker task and a numerical breadth task as baseline tests. The experimental procedure was divided into a learning phase, in which participants memorized the sequence of pictures, and a testing phase, in which participants were required to recall a picture presented after the probe item. Participants were randomly assigned in parallel to each stimulus type and learning strategy, with 25 receiving tdcs anodized stimuli, 25 receiving sham stimuli, and another 25 receiving tacs stimuli. And participants' inhibitory control continued to be tested using the flanker task before and after the stimuli for pre- and post-intervention comparisons.
3,471 studies on the registry are indexed under Schizophrenia; 472 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 75 is close to the median of 70 across 2,872 interventional studies indexed under Schizophrenia.
Browse Schizophrenia studies →This is the only study on the registry with Xiaofeng Ma as lead sponsor.
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Exclusion Criteria:
In the anodal group, the anode was placed over the left DLPFC (F3), and the cathode was placed over the contralateral supraorbital area (FP2). A direct current of 2mA was applied for 20 minutes during each stimulation session.
Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)- anodal group
In the sham group, the stimulation parameters, including the stimulation site and duration, were identical to those of the anodal group. However, during the 10-second ramp-up and ramp-down periods before and after stimulation, patients were unaware that the current was turned off.
Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)- sham group
In the transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) group, the anode was placed in the left DLPFC (F3) and the cathode was placed in the contralateral supraorbital region (FP2). A direct current of 1.5 mA was applied for 20 minutes during each stimulation, theta rhythm, 6 HZ.
Device: transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)-tACS group
2mA/20mins/session;
0mA/20mins/session
1.5 mA/20 min/session; 6HZ, theta
Correctness of temporal recall
Stimulus content was presented using the Eprime experimental program, and participants pressed key responses during the test phase to record their rate of correctness. Stimulus content was presented using the Eprime experimental program, and participants pressed key responses during the test phase to record their rate of correctness.
Time frame: 5mins to 24 hours
proactive interference rate
The rate of intrusion of prior information when participants recalled the current information was counted.
Time frame: 5mins to 24 hours
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