Efficacy of Maintenance Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Auditory Verbal Hallucinations

Efficacy of Maintenance Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) Treatment in Reducing Auditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVH) With High Frequency and Neuronavigation Guidance: A Double-blind, Randomized and Multicentric Study

Promoteur : University Hospital, Caen

Titre et résumé fournis en anglais par le registre source, reproduits sans traduction ni interprétation.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can alleviate persistent auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) in schizophrenic patients, but the classical procedure with low-frequency stimulation for several weeks upon the left temporoparietal junction have shown modest therapeutic effects, and there is currently no robust predictive factor to the response of the treatment. In a previous multicentric, randomized, and double-blind controlled study, it has been demonstrated that a high-frequency rTMS over an anatomical target can rapidly affect AVHs. Moreover, an intensification of the classical procedure delivering 20-Hz rTMS over a 2-day period was used in addition to a personalized anatomical stimulation target and neuronavigation guidance. Besides the significant efficacy of the procedure, the efficacy was maximal at two weeks after the end of the treatment. In this project, the hypothesis is that the two-day cure could benefit from maintenance rTMS sessions every week for one month and then every two weeks for 3 months to provide an optimal strategy for a long-lasting AVH reduction. This has for now never been tested. Predictive factors to the response of the treatment are also investigated.