Gamma transcranial alternating current stimulation in patients with negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A case series

Nikolas Haller; Alkomiet Hasan; Frank Padberg; Jerome Brunelin; Leandro da Costa Lane Valiengo; Ulrich Palm

doi:10.1016/j.neucli.2020.06.004

Gamma transcranial alternating current stimulation in patients with negative symptoms in schizophrenia: A case series

Neurophysiol Clin. 2020 Sep;50(4):301-304. doi: 10.1016/j.neucli.2020.06.004. Epub 2020 Jul 4.

Authors

Nikolas Haller¹, Alkomiet Hasan², Frank Padberg¹, Jerome Brunelin³, Leandro da Costa Lane Valiengo⁴, Ulrich Palm⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany.
² Department. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany; Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik der Universität Augsburg, Bezirkskrankenhaus Augsburg, Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
³ CH de le Vinatier, INSERM U 1028, CNRS UMR 5292, PSYR2 Team, Centre de recherche en neuroscience de Lyon, Université de Lyon, France.
⁴ Laboratory of Neurosciences (LIM-27), Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Instituto Nacional de Biomarcadores em Neuropsiquiatria (INBioN), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁵ Department. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany; Medical Park Chiemseeblick, 25, Rasthausstr, 83233 Bernau-Felden, Germany. Electronic address: u.palm@medicalpark.de.

PMID: 32631667
DOI: 10.1016/j.neucli.2020.06.004

Abstract

Non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation therapies, such as transcranial direct current stimulation, have been found to improve negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Another new technique is transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Here we report a series of three patient treated with twice-daily 10min prefrontal 40Hz tACS stimulation over ten days. Patients showed an improvement in the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, and subjective well-being. Furthermore, there was an improvement in the Trail Making Test and word fluency. ytACS merits further investigation in the treatment of schizophrenia symptoms.

Keywords: Cognitive impairment; Negative syndrome; Non-invasive brain stimulation; Schizophrenia; tACS.

MeSH terms

Humans
Schizophrenia*
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation*