SOURCE: Indian Journal of Psychiatry. Conference: 69th Annual Conference of Indian Psychiatric Society, ANCIPS 2017. Raipur India. 59(Supplement 2) (pp S179), 2017. Date of Publication: January 2017.
AUTHORS: Narendra A.R.; Sinha V.K.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To assess the change in negative symptoms following cerebellar vermal theta burst RTMS in patients suffering from schizophrenia as compared to sham stimulation.
METHOD(S): Forty patients with schizophrenia were given 10 sessions of intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS) to the vermal part of cerebellum located according to the 10 – 20 international system. Patients were randomized into two groups; active group receiving ITBS and control group receiving sham RTMS. Patients were rated before and after completion of 10 sessions and the final rating were done 14 days after sessions of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (RTMS). Patients were maintained on optimal antipsychotics before the start of rTMS sessions and were maintained till the end of study period.
RESULT(S): We found significant reduction in scores of scale for assessment of negative symptoms (SANS), positive and negative syndrome scale (PAN SS), Calgary depression scale for schizophrenia (CDSS) after the ITBS sessions in patients receiving active RTMS as well as SHAM RTMS. No significant difference in Simpson-Angus scale (SAS) scores was found. There was significant reduction in scores (SAS, PANSS, CDSS) over time in both the groups, with the sans and PANSS score remaining significant even in the follow-up period.
CONCLUSION(S): We concluded that intermittent theta burst (ITBS) over cerebellar vermis does not seem to have significant effect on psychopathology in the patients of schizophrenia with negative symptoms.
LINK TO FULL ARTICLE: https://journals.lww.com/indianjpsychiatry/toc/2017/59002
