Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32808025›Full record

Trial reportThe international journal of neuropsychopharmacology2021

The Effects of Bi-Anodal tDCS Over the Prefrontal Cortex Regions With Extracephalic Reference Placement on Insight Levels and Cardio-Respiratory and Autonomic Functions in Schizophrenia Patients and Exploratory Biomarker Analyses for Treatment Response.

Chuan-Chia Chang, Yu-Chen Kao, Che-Yi Chao, Nian-Sheng Tzeng, Hsin-An Chang

Open access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Review
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  7. 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 at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Chuan-Chia ChangDepartment of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yu-Chen KaoDepartment of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Che-Yi ChaoDepartment of Psychiatry, Cardinal Tien Hospital, New Taipei, Taiwan.
Nian-Sheng TzengDepartment 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.
National Defense Medical Center · TWCardinal Tien Hospital · TWTri-Service General Hospital · TW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe previously showed the efficacy of bi-anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the prefrontal cortex (PFC) regions with extracephalic reference placement in improving negative symptoms in schizophrenia. In this ancillary investigation, the effects of this intervention on insight levels, other clinical outcomes, and cardio-respiratory and autonomic functions were examined and the potential of biomarkers for treatment response was explored.

methodsSchizophrenia patients were randomly allocated to receive 10 sessions of bi-anodal tDCS over the PFC regions with extracephalic reference placement (2 mA, 20 minutes, twice daily for 5 weeks) or sham stimulation. We examined, in 60 patients at baseline, immediately after stimulation and at follow-up visits, the insight levels, other clinical outcomes, blood pressure, respiratory rate, heart rate, and heart rate variability.

resultsInsight levels as assessed by the abbreviated version of the Scale to Assess Unawareness in Mental Disorder in schizophrenia awareness of the disease, positive and negative symptoms dimensions, and beliefs about medication compliance as assessed by Medication Adherence Rating Scale were significantly enhanced by active stimulation relative to sham. No effects were observed on cognitive insight, other clinical outcomes, or cardio-respiratory and autonomic functions. Heart rate variability indices as biomarkers were not associated with the clinical response to the intervention.

conclusionsOur results provide evidence for bi-anodal tDCS over the PFC regions with extracephalic reference placement in heightening the levels of insight into the disease and symptoms, as well as beliefs about medication compliance in schizophrenia, without impacting other clinical outcomes and cardio-respiratory/autonomic functions.

Indexed as

Diagnostic Self EvaluationTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultAutonomic Nervous SystemBiomarkersBlood PressureDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHeart RateHumansMaleMiddle AgedOutcome Assessment, Health CarePrefrontal CortexRespiratory RateSchizophreniaBiomarkersextracephalic montageimpaired insightprefrontal cortexSchizophreniatranscranial direct current stimulation

Identifiers

PMID32808025
PMCPMC7816677
OpenAlexW3058974964

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

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.