Temporal Memory in Schizophrenic Patients

NCT06562504 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: No.2024018
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 75
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Temporal order memory deficits are a central feature of cognitive abnormalities in schizophrenia. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex contributes to the extraction of temporal contextual information. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and interim testing have been shown to be external techniques that can improve temporal order memory deficits in schizophrenia patients. Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can also improve cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia. This study intends to investigate the learning effects of temporal order memory under two learning strategies during tDCS targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L-DLPFC) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) interventions in patients with schizophrenia, to investigate whether it can promote the retention of temporal order memory in patients, and to compare the differences in the effects of the two intervention modalities. This study was planned to recruit 75 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia from the hospital. A single online tDCS (2 mA × 20 min) and tACS (1.5 mA × 20 min, theta rhythm) intervention was conducted during which participants performed a temporal-sequence memory task for visual pictures, and test scores were compared for each stimulus type on an intermediate test and repetition of the two strategies of learning.

Conditions

Patients With Schizophrenia

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Correctness of temporal recall

  Stimulus content was presented using the Eprime experimental program, and participants pressed key responses during the test phase to record their rate of correctness. Stimulus content was presented using the Eprime experimental program, and participants pressed key responses during the test phase to record their rate of correctness.

  5mins to 24 hours

• proactive interference rate

  The rate of intrusion of prior information when participants recalled the current information was counted.

  5mins to 24 hours

Study Arms (3)

Anodal group

EXPERIMENTAL

In the anodal group, the anode was placed over the left DLPFC (F3), and the cathode was placed over the contralateral supraorbital area (FP2). A direct current of 2mA was applied for 20 minutes during each stimulation session.

Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)- anodal group

Sham group

SHAM COMPARATOR

In the sham group, the stimulation parameters, including the stimulation site and duration, were identical to those of the anodal group. However, during the 10-second ramp-up and ramp-down periods before and after stimulation, patients were unaware that the current was turned off.

Device: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)- sham group

tACS group

EXPERIMENTAL

In the transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) group, the anode was placed in the left DLPFC (F3) and the cathode was placed in the contralateral supraorbital region (FP2). A direct current of 1.5 mA was applied for 20 minutes during each stimulation, theta rhythm, 6 HZ.

Device: transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)-tACS group

Interventions

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)- anodal group DEVICE

2mA/20mins/session;

Anodal group

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)- sham group DEVICE

0mA/20mins/session

Sham group

transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS)-tACS group DEVICE

1.5 mA/20 min/session; 6HZ, theta

tACS group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Meeting the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5);
• Aged 18 years or older, regardless of gender, with an educational level of elementary school or above;
• All patients received stable-level antipsychotic medication treatment, were in a stable phase of disease treatment, able to understand the testing requirements, and cooperated to complete all research tasks;
• No history of neurological disorders or other serious physical illnesses, and no history of intellectual disability;
• No color blindness, color weakness, or other color vision impairments, with normal vision or corrected vision.

You may not qualify if:

• Clear cognitive impairment caused by somatic or cerebral organic lesions, such as cerebrovascular diseases, traumatic brain injury, etc;
• Individuals with mental disorders caused by substance dependence or abuse, or the use of psychoactive substances;
• History of brain injury or other central nervous system-related organic diseases;
• Individuals at significant risk of suicide or harming others;
• Participation in similar experiments in the past 30 days prior to baseline.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Xiaofeng Ma: lead

Study Sites (1)

Northwest Normal University

Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, China

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Electric Stimulation Therapy; Therapeutics; Convulsive Therapy; Psychiatric Somatic Therapies; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Electroshock; Psychological Techniques

Study Officials

• Xiaofeng Ma, Professor

  Northwest Normal University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Tiantian Li, Doctor

CONTACT

13909483531; psylitiantian@outlook.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 15, 2024
• First Posted: August 20, 2024
• Study Start: August 15, 2024
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2024
• Study Completion: September 30, 2024
• Last Updated: August 20, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CN (1)