Brain Stimulation Can Improve Prospective Memory in Schizophrenia

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 6, 2023 -- For patients with schizophrenia, bilateral high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can improve event-based prospective memory (EBPM), according to a study published online Dec. 6 in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports.

Fen Xue, from the Mental Health Hospital in Beijing, and colleagues examined the effects of rTMS on PM in 50 patients with schizophrenia compared to 18 healthy controls. Over four weeks, bilateral 20 Hz rTMS was administered to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for a total of 20 treatments; 26 patients received active rTMS and 24 received sham rTMS. Before and after treatment, assessments with the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and PM test were performed.

The researchers found that compared with healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia had lower EBPM and time-based PM scores at baseline. The scores of EBPM improved significantly after rTMS treatment in patients with schizophrenia and were no different from healthy controls, while no improvement was seen in the time-based PM scores. In both groups, significant improvement was seen in the negative symptom scores on PANSS and the scores of almost all subscales and total scores of SANS.

"Whether rTMS can be as a PM therapy for patients with schizophrenia [needs] to be subject to bigger sample size, more rigorous, rational, and scientific clinical studies," the authors write. "In the near future, individual-defined network-based rTMS therapy may be a novel treatment approach for schizophrenia."

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2023-12-07 00:15

Read more

Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Popular Keywords