An interventional study of high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS) and sham high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS) in Schizophrenia With Auditory Hallucinations, sponsored by Shanghai Mental Health Center. Completed at 1 site in China. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-01.
Sponsored by Shanghai Mental Health Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study aims to investigate the after-effects of high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) with varying parameters on resting-state brain activity in patients with schizophrenia experiencing auditory hallucinations.
136 studies on the registry are indexed under Hallucinations; 35 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 36 is below the median of 48 across 118 interventional studies indexed under Hallucinations.
Browse Hallucinations studies →Shanghai Mental Health Center is the lead sponsor of 272 studies on the registry; 91 are open to participants now.
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Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
DSM diagnostic criteria
The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
For 0.4mA-10Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 0.4mA-20Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 20 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 0.4mA-40Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 20 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 0.4mA-140Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 1mA-10Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 1mA-20Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 1mA-40Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 1mA-140Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 2mA-10Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 2mA-20Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 2mA-40Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For 2mA-140Hz HD-tACS prevention, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel at 10 Hz and 0.4mA.
Device: high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
For sham HD-tACS, we will stimulate the personalized left or right temporal lobe channel using sham HD-tACS pattern.
Device: sham high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation(HD-tACS)
The active intervention consists of high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) delivered using a 4×1 ring configuration (one center electrode surrounded by four return electrodes) over the personalized left or right temporal lobe. The return electrodes deliver one-quarter of the central electrode current with opposite polarity. Stimulation is administered for 90 seconds per condition, with the frequency and current intensity set according to the experimental protocol. A 10-second ramp-up and a 5-second ramp-down period are included in each stimulation condition. The stimulus waveform is sinusoidal. Stimulation is delivered using saline-soaked sponge electrodes. Electrode impedance is maintained below 10 kΩ throughout the stimulation session.
The sham intervention consists of high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) delivered using a 4×1 ring configuration (one center electrode surrounded by four return electrodes) over the personalized left or right temporal lobe. The return electrodes deliver one-quarter of the central electrode current with opposite polarity. To mimic the sensory experience of active stimulation, the sham condition includes a 10-second ramp-up and a 5-second ramp-down period at 0.4 mA and 140 Hz, with no current delivered during the intervening 90-second period.
Beta2-band EEG power at the stimulation site
Changes in EEG power(dB) in beta2 band within different frequency band measured at the temporal lobe during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Alpha-band EEG power at the stimulation site
Changes in EEG power(dB) in alpha band within different frequency band measured at the temporal lobe during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Delta-band EEG power at the stimulation site
Changes in EEG power(dB) in delta band within different frequency band measured at the temporal lobe during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Theta-band EEG power at the stimulation site
Changes in EEG power(dB) in theta band within different frequency band measured at the temporal lobe during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Gamma-band EEG power at the stimulation site
Changes in EEG power(dB) in gamma band within different frequency band measured at the temporal lobe during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Beta2-band functional connectivity measured by EEG wPLI
Beta2-band functional connectivity between predefined EEG electrodes, quantified using the weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI), during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Alpha-band functional connectivity measured by EEG wPLI
Alpha-band functional connectivity between predefined EEG electrodes, quantified using the weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI), during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Delta-band functional connectivity measured by EEG wPLI
Delta-band functional connectivity between predefined EEG electrodes, quantified using the weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI), during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Theta-band functional connectivity measured by EEG wPLI
Theta-band functional connectivity between predefined EEG electrodes, quantified using the weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI), during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Gamma-band functional connectivity measured by EEG wPLI
Gamma-band functional connectivity between predefined EEG electrodes, quantified using the weighted Phase Lag Index (wPLI), during the 180-second resting-state EEG recording immediately following each stimulation condition.
Time frame: 180-second recording after each 90-second stimulation
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be made publicly available because of privacy and confidentiality considerations related to the collection of electrophysiological data from human participants.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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