Enhancing Prefrontal Oscillatory Activity and Working Memory Performance With Noninvasive Brain Stimulation in Early-course Schizophrenia
Fabio Ferrarelli
Summary
This study will investigate the effects of intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) on natural oscillatory frequency of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and working memory in early-course schizophrenia (EC-SCZ). Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) will be used to evoke oscillatory activity, and EEG will record the responses of EC-SCZ participants. A working memory task will also be incorporated in order to determine how DLPFC natural frequency (NF) is related to working memory performance. iTBS (active or sham) will be administered, then the oscillatory activity of DLPFC and working memory performance will be reassessed. The overarching goal is to determine whether iTBS can acutely enhance the oscillatory activity of the DLPFC and to evaluate the relationship between changes in the DLPFC and working memory performance.
Description
The overarching goal of this proposal is to establish whether, by acutely enhancing dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) oscillatory deficits experimentally, there is a corresponding improvement in working memory (WM) function in early-course schizophrenia (EC-SCZ) patients. To achieve this goal, the investigators will perform TMS/EEG assessments of DLPFC and related oscillatory parameters and evaluate WM ability with the AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) before and after two theta burst stimulation (TBS) sessions (intermittent (iTBS) and sham TBS of DLPFC) in 75 EC-SCZ patients. Aim…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: 1. ages 18-40 years 2. DSM diagnoses of Schizophrenia Spectrum Axis I disorders 3. a duration of less than three years from beginning of psychosis, defined by report of symptoms and/or history of treatment, based on clinical guidelines employed in our UPMC psychoses clinics in Pittsburgh. Exclusion Criteria: 1. DSM intellectual developmental disorder 2. significant head injury 3. medical illness affecting brain structure or function 4. significant neurologic disorder (e.g. seizure disorder) 5. personal history or family history of epilepsy 6. inability to provide informe…
Interventions
- Deviceactive intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS)
iTBS is a brief stimulation of a part of the brain with a magnetic field that passes through the scalp and skull safely. It is FDA-approved as a treatment for psychological conditions including depression; however, this device is not approved for the treatment of adults with patients with schizophrenia. This research study is using iTBS off label in SCZ patients to examine research questions.
- Devicesham intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS)
Sham TBS over the left DLPFC will be performed using a Cool-B65 A/P TMS coil, designed to support blinded clinical trials. Specifically, when the coil is placed in the "P" position (i.e. the "placebo" position), only a very small amount of current is induced in tissue, thus preventing the activation of cortical neurons.
Location
- University of PittsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania