Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation add-on for treatment of negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia: A feasibility study

Yechiel Levkovitz, Liron Rabany, Eiran Vadim Harel, Abraham Zangen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

73 Scopus citations

Abstract

Treatment for negative symptoms and cognitive deficits, core elements of schizophrenia, remains inadequate. Stimulation of the prefrontal cortex via transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) yields only moderate results, possibly due to limited stimulation depth. Deep-TMS enables deeper and wider stimulation than before. This preliminary study is the first to examine deep-TMS as a possible add-on treatment for negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. The effect of 20 daily deep-TMS sessions (20 Hz, 120% motor threshold) over the prefrontal cortex of 15 patients indicated improvement in cognition and negative symptoms that was maintained at 2-wk post-treatment follow-up.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)991-996
Number of pages6
JournalInternational Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
Volume14
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Aug 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Cognition
  • negative symptoms
  • schizophrenia
  • transcranial magnetic stimulation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pharmacology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Pharmacology (medical)

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