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SchizophreniaNCT00870909

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

A study testing active tDCS in people with Schizophrenia and Auditory Hallucinations, run by Hôpital le Vinatier at 2 sites in 2 countries.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether trans Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is effective in the treatment of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 50 years
Conditions the study is for
Schizophrenia, Auditory Hallucinations
What is being tested?
active tDCS
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
46 participants
Where
2 sitesin 2 countries
Study dates
2 Feb 2009to 20 Jul 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 50 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Schizophrenia according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - DSM-IV
  • Auditory verbal hallucinations for at least 6 weeks (despite antipsychotic drugs)
  • Medication Resistance according to Kane et al., 1988
  • Age between 18 and 50 years old
  • Informed consent

Who cannot join

  • Concomitant major and unstable medical or neurologic illness
  • Pregnant

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 2 countries.

2 sites in 2 countries

France1 site
  • Hopital Le vinatier

    Bron, 69677

Other trials in France

Tunisia1 site
  • Laboratoire de Recherche " Vulnérabilité Aux Psychoses "

    Monastir

Other trials in Tunisia

About this study

Official title: Anodal & Cathodal tDCS for Treatment of Resistant Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

The purpose of this study is to determine whether trans Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is effective in the treatment of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.

Read the detailed description

The project will investigate the use of a novel technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of patients with schizophrenia. tDCS permit the application of an extremely weak continuous electrical current to the brain through an anode and a cathode applied on the scalp. Anodal stimulation appears to increase brain activity whereas cathodal stimulation has the opposite effect.

Using anodal \& cathodal tDCS the investigators aimed to treat auditory hallucinations, a symptoms of schizophrenia. The investigators plan to apply tDCS such that it can simultaneously increased activity in the frontal brain areas and reduce activity over temporoparietal cortex, 2 areas involved in the physiopathology of the disease. Real active stimulation will be compare to a sham condition in 60 patients (30 in each group). 30 patients will be included in a French center (Hospital le Vinatier, sponsor of the study) and 30 in Tunisia (laboratory "vulnerability to psychosis" (Pr Gaha) à Monastir).

Being tested
active tDCS, sham tDCS
Medical subject headings
Schizophrenia, Hallucinations

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • active tDCSProcedure or surgery

    Also called tDCS, transDirect Current Stimulation, Anodal tDCS, Cathodal tDCS

    Intensity 2 mA during 20 minutes, 2 times per day

  • sham tDCSProcedure or surgery

    Also called tDCS placebo

    sham condition as delivered by the stimulator

Study groups in NCT00870909
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
active tDCSActive comparatortDCS active; - Intensity = 2 milliamps (mA) during 20 minutes. ramp up/ramp down 30sec anodal tDCS applied over the left DLPFC combined with cathodal tDCS applied over the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ). 10 sessions, 2 per day
Receives: Procedure: active tDCS
sham tDCSPlacebo comparatortDCS placebo same electrode montage than in the active group. 30 sec of active tDCS in the beginning of the stimulation sessions; ramp up/ramp down 30 sec
Receives: Procedure: sham tDCS

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Auditory hallucinations measured by Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (Hoffman et al., 2003)

    Measured: before, after 1 week of treatment and 2 times follow up (1 & 3 months)

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Neurochemical impact of treatment measured by 1H-MRS (proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy), DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging) and resting MRI

    Measured: 3 times: before treatment, immediately after treatment and a last evaluation 1 month after

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Mar 2009 (estimated)
  2. Study start2 Feb 2009
  3. Primary completion21 Apr 2016
  4. Study completion20 Jul 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
46 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT00870909
Sponsor's protocol ID
2008-A01226-49
Status last verified
Feb 2017
First submitted
26 Mar 2009
Last updated
1 Mar 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Brunelin J, Mondino M, Gassab L, Haesebaert F, Gaha L, Suaud-Chagny MF, Saoud M, Mechri A, Poulet E. Examining transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) as a treatment for hallucinations in schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry. 2012 Jul;169(7):719-24. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11071091.

    PubMed 22581236

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing active tDCS in people with Schizophrenia and Auditory Hallucinations, run by Hôpital le Vinatier at 2 sites in 2 countries.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Mar 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in France, Tunisia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Auditory hallucinations measured by Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (Hoffman et al., 2003) (time frame: before, after 1 week of treatment and 2 times follow up (1 & 3 months)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00870909, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Mar 2017.

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