title: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in schizophrenic patients reporting auditory hallucinations.
abstract: Auditory hallucinations are experienced by 60-80% of person with schizophrenia and can often cause significant distress behavioural dyscontrol. The application of rTMS in the left temporoparietal cortex could modulate the neuronal activation and reduce the occurrence of auditory disperceptions. Sixteen schizophrenic patients (treated with atypical antipsycothic drugs) reporting auditory hallucinations were included in the study. Low frequency rTMS (1 Hz) was performed at the 90% of resting motor threshold (MT), during 4 sessions in four consecutive days for 15 minutes each application. Eight patients received active stimulation, while eight patients received sham stimulation. Scale for the assessment of positive symptoms (SAPS), scale for the assessment of negative symptoms (SANS) and a scale to asses the severity of the auditory hallucinations (SAH) were administered at the beginning and at regular intervals during the follow-up. The present study confirms the reduction in auditory hallucinations by means of rTMS. The main finding was the long-term reduction in auditory hallucinations in the active group, with a return to the baseline in the sham group. The negative symptomatology improved only in the later sessions and lasted during the follow-up. The improvements in auditory hallucinations and positive symptomatology increased and lasted during the follow-up till the end-point. These data suggest that this approach may lead to an alternative somatic intervention for auditory hallucination in patients with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatric Sciences, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chibbaro
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daniele
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alagona
authors.forename: Concetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Pasquale
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cannavò
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rapisarda
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bella
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pennisi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013997:Time Factors