Efficacy and safety of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive function in chronic schizophrenia with Tardive Dyskinesia (TD): a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, clinical trial

Yue Zhou; Xingzhi Xia; Xueli Zhao; Ruchang Yang; Yuxuan Wu; Junjun Liu; Xiaoli Lyu; Zhe Li; Guangya Zhang; Xiangdong Du

doi:10.1186/s12888-023-05112-0

Efficacy and safety of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive function in chronic schizophrenia with Tardive Dyskinesia (TD): a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, clinical trial

BMC Psychiatry. 2023 Aug 24;23(1):623. doi: 10.1186/s12888-023-05112-0.

Authors

Yue Zhou^#^{1

2}, Xingzhi Xia^#^{1

2}, Xueli Zhao^#², Ruchang Yang^{2

3}, Yuxuan Wu^{2

3}, Junjun Liu⁴, Xiaoli Lyu⁵, Zhe Li², Guangya Zhang², Xiangdong Du^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
² Suzhou Guangji Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
³ Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
⁴ Nanjing Meishan Hospital, Nanjing, China.
⁵ Affiliated WuTaiShan Hospital of Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
⁶ Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China. xiangdong-du@163.com.
⁷ Suzhou Guangji Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China. xiangdong-du@163.com.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Objective: Previous studies have shown that transcranial direct current stimulation(tDCS) led to an improvement of cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia, but rare study has explored the effect of tDCS on long-term hospitalized chronic schizophrenia with tardive dyskinesia (TD). The present research explored if cognitive function in patients with long-term hospitalized chronic schizophrenia with TD could be improved through tDCS.

Methods: This study is a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial. Of the 52 patients, 14 dropped out, and 38 completed the experiment. Thirty-eight patients on stable treatment regimens were randomly assigned to receive active tDCS(n = 21) or sham stimulation(n = 17) on weekdays of the first, third, and fifth weeks of treatment. Patients performed the Pattern Recognition Memory (PRM) and the Intra/Extradimensional Set Shift (IED) from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) at baseline and the end of week 3, week 5. Clinical symptoms were also measured at the baseline and the fifth week using the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Side effects of tDCS were assessed with an experimenter-administered open-ended questionnaire during the whole experiment.

Results: There were no significant differences in PRM and IED performance metrics, SANS total score and PANSS total score between active and sham tDCS groups at the end of week 5 (p > 0.05). Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the adverse effects of the tingling sensation between the two groups (p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in other side effects (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: According to these findings, no evidence supports using anodal stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex to improve cognitive function in patients with long-term hospitalized chronic schizophrenia with TD.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03497013.

Keywords: Chronic Schizophrenia; Intra/Extradimensional Set Shift; Pattern Recognition Memory; Randomized Controlled Trial; Tardive Dyskinesia; tDCS.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cognition
Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions*
Humans
Schizophrenia* / complications
Schizophrenia* / therapy
Tardive Dyskinesia* / therapy
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation* / adverse effects

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03497013