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Published on: July 2, 2013
High frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for auditory verbal hallucinations in
Virginie Moulier1,2, Charlotte Lemonnier1, Sonia Dollfus3,4,5,6
1Centre Hospitalier du Rouvray, Service Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie, Centre d'Excellence Thérapeutique, Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France.
Background:
This study investigates the efficacy of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders in routine clinical practice.
Methods:
In this monocentric study, data were collected on patients with schizophrenia treated by rTMS for resistant auditory verbal hallucinations from May 2020 to May 2024. Treatment efficacy was regularly assessed.
Results:
The data of 65 patients were collected. There was a significant improvement in the Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (AHRS, p<0.001), in the Brief psychiatric Rating scale (BPRS, p<0.001) and in the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (p<0.001) scores over time (from baseline up to six months). The maximum response rate (40%) was obtained after nine weeks of rTMS (on average (SD), after 30.6 (7.8) rTMS sessions). The responders were significantly younger than non-responders (p=0.002). The good tolerance of the rTMS treatment allowed excellent compliance: only seven patients (10.8%) asked to stop rTMS or were non-compliant.
Conclusion:
These data show the clinical interest and the good tolerance of rTMS in daily practice in patients with schizophrenia suffering from auditory verbal hallucinations.
