Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 19, 2025
A Pilot Study on the Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation of Aβ and Tau Levels in Rhesus Monkey Cerebrospinal Fluid
Published on: September 3, 2021
Effects of varied rTMS frequencies on cognitive function in individuals with chronic schizophrenia: A double-blind
Juanhua Li1, Xiaobing Lu1, Shulin Du2
1Department of Nutritional and Metabolic Psychiatry, Affliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center for Translational Medicine of Mental Disorders, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Channelopathies of Guangdong Province and the Ministry of Education of China, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Background:
Accumulating evidence has indicated the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on cognitive improvements in individuals with schizophrenia. However, the comparative effectiveness of low-frequency rTMS versus high-frequency rTMS on cognitive improvements remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the difference in the efficacy of low and high-frequency rTMS on cognitive function in chronic individuals with schizophrenia.
Methods:
Ninety patients with chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to three groups: low-frequency (1Hz) rTMS group, high-frequency (10Hz) rTMS group, and sham group. rTMS treatment targeted the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was conducted for 4 weeks. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), while cognitive function was measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at baseline and the 4th week of treatment.
Results:
Following the 4-week treatment, both low-frequency rTMS and high-frequency rTMS decreased PANSS negative symptoms while improving the MoCA subscales related to visuospatial/executive function and delayed memory. High-frequency rTMS demonstrated superiority over low-frequency rTMS in alleviating negative symptoms and enhancing delayed memory.
Conclusion:
These findings suggest that rTMS is an effective approach for enhancing cognitive function in chronic schizophrenia. Furthermore, high-frequency rTMS emerges as more effective than low-frequency rTMS in improving negative symptoms and delayed memory.
Registration Number:
NCT03273439.
