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Adjunct transcranial direct current stimulation improves cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia: A
Dong-Wook Jeon1, Do-Un Jung1, Sung-Jin Kim1
1Department of Psychiatry, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Schizophrenia Research
|April 9, 2019
Summary
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) improved cognitive function and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia patients. This safe adjunctive treatment offers a new approach for managing cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Cognitive impairment is a core symptom of schizophrenia, significantly impacting daily functioning and quality of life.
- Current treatments for schizophrenia often have limited efficacy in addressing cognitive deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as an adjunctive treatment for improving cognitive function and clinical symptoms in schizophrenia patients.
- To assess the safety and tolerability of tDCS in this population.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 56 stable schizophrenia patients assigned to real-tDCS or sham-tDCS groups.
- Participants received daily 30-minute tDCS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for 10 consecutive weekdays.
- Cognitive function was assessed using the MCCB and WCST; clinical symptoms were evaluated using PANSS, CGI-SCH, and CDSS at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up.
Main Results:
- The real-tDCS group showed significant improvements in MCCB working memory and overall cognitive scores compared to the sham group.
- Depressive symptoms, as measured by CGI-SCH, significantly decreased in the real-tDCS group over time.
- tDCS treatment was well-tolerated and safe when used as an adjunct to antipsychotic medication.
Conclusions:
- Adjunctive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe and effective treatment for enhancing cognitive status in patients with schizophrenia.
- tDCS demonstrates potential as a novel therapeutic strategy to address cognitive deficits in schizophrenia, improving both cognitive function and mood symptoms.
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