Second run of transcranial magnetic stimulation has no effects on persistent auditory hallucinations

We report the case of a 30-year-old male schizophrenic patient with persistent auditory hallucinations (AHs) who had received two 1-Hz transcranial magnetic stimulations (TMS) to the left temporoparietal cortex. The patient had suffered from severe persistent AHs for more than 5 years with little improvement in response to various types of combination pharmacotherapy of antipsychotics. Upon commencement of TMS, however, the patient reported substantial improvement by the end of the third week of the treatment. The patient was discharged, but readmitted 6 months later because his AHs returned to their initial severity. A second run of TMS had no therapeutic effect. Further research is needed to establish the therapeutic duration of TMS treatment and to assess whether the second run of TMS after AH re-occurrence has therapeutic benefits.