← Back to Search

Noninvasive Brain Stimulation

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation for Hallucinations

N/A

Recruiting

Led By Paulo Lizano, MD, PhD

Research Sponsored by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Actively experiencing hallucinations (tactile, auditory, visual, etc.)

Aged 18-50 years of age

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up change from baseline to month follow-up

Awards & highlights

Study Summary

This trial will test whether or not brain stimulation can help improve hallucinations in people with different neurological and psychiatric illnesses.

Who is the study for?

This trial is for English-speaking adults aged 18-50 who are currently experiencing hallucinations. It's not suitable for those with recent substance abuse, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, people with significant head injuries, intellectual disabilities, metal implants in the body (especially in the head), or a history of seizures.Check my eligibility

What is being tested?

The study tests Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (tES) targeted at the right superior temporal sulcus (rSTS) to see if it can improve brain activity and reduce hallucinations in psychotic disorders like schizophrenia.See study design

What are the potential side effects?

Potential side effects of tES may include discomfort at the stimulation site, headache, dizziness, nausea or itching under the electrodes during application. There's also a low risk of inducing seizures.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

You may be eligible if you check “Yes” for the criteria below

Select...

I am currently experiencing hallucinations.

Select...

I am between 18 and 50 years old.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ change from baseline to month follow-up

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~change from baseline to month follow-up

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and change from baseline to month follow-up for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Outcome measures can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary outcome measures

7-item Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale (AHRS)

Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)

University of Miami Parkinson's Disease Hallucinations Questionnaire (UM-PDHQ)

Secondary outcome measures

Auditory Steady state evoked potential

Biological motion

Brief Assessment of Cognition (BACS)

+8 more

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Placebo Group

Group I: Active Stimulation with TDCSExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

10 tDCS; Two, twenty-minute sessions of tDCS to the rSTS for 5 days (10 total sessions).

Group II: SHAM StimulationPlacebo Group1 Intervention

10 passive sham control; Two, twenty-minute sessions of passive sham control to the rSTS for a 30 second ramped up and down at the beginning and end of the 20 min period for 5 days (10 total sessions).

Treatment

First Studied

Drug Approval Stage

How many patients have taken this drug

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation

2019

Completed Early Phase 1

~20

0 / 2Eligibility criteria met