Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30107404›Full record

Trial reportThe international journal of neuropsychopharmacology2018

The Effects of Add-on Fronto-Temporal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Auditory Verbal Hallucinations, Other Psychopathological Symptoms, and Insight in Schizophrenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial.

Chuan-Chia Chang, Nian-Sheng Tzeng, Che-Yi Chao, Chin-Bin Yeh, Hsin-An Chang

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
33citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

33 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  15. Transcranial Electrical Stimulation: Clinical Implication and Practice for Treatment of Psychiatric Illness.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2024
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Chuan-Chia ChangDepartment of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Nian-Sheng TzengDepartment of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Che-Yi ChaoDepartment of Psychiatry, Cardinal Tien Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan.
Chin-Bin YehDepartment of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Hsin-An ChangDepartment of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The efficacy of fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation in treating auditory verbal hallucinations and other psychopathological symptoms of schizophrenia patients has been examined in a small number of clinical trials with limited sample sizes, but the results are mixed. Fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation has also been demonstrated to enhance patients' insight into their mental illness in an open-label pilot study. The current investigation aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation on the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations, other schizophrenia symptoms, and insight in a large double blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial. Methods: Sixty patients with medication-refractory auditory verbal hallucinations were randomized over 2 conditions: transcranial direct current stimulation with 2-mA, twice-daily sessions for 5 consecutive days, with anodal stimulation to the left prefrontal cortex and cathodal stimulation to the left temporo-parietal junction, and sham treatment. Results: Fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation failed to cause significant changes in the severity of auditory verbal hallucinations and other schizophrenia symptoms. The levels of insight into illness (effect size=0.511, P<.001) and positive symptoms (effect size=0.781, P<.001) were largely promoted by 5 days of transcranial direct current stimulation relative to sham treatment. The beneficial effects on the 2 insight dimensions remained 1 month after transcranial direct current stimulation. Conclusions: Fronto-temporal transcranial direct current stimulation is not more effective for auditory verbal hallucinations and other schizophrenia symptoms than sham treatment. But the results of transcranial direct current stimulation-associated improvement in awareness of illness and positive symptoms show promise and provide a new direction for future research into insight promotion interventions in schizophrenia.

Indexed as

Schizophrenic PsychologyTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultAntipsychotic AgentsAwarenessDouble-Blind MethodFemaleFrontal LobeHallucinationsHumansMaleMiddle AgedPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesSchizophreniaTemporal LobeTreatment FailureAntipsychotic Agents

Identifiers

PMID30107404
PMCPMC6209860

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.