Can a targeted electric field reach deep brain to quiet schizophrenia symptoms?

NCT ID NCT07773831

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Aug 19, 2026 · Last updated Aug 20, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tests whether a noninvasive technique called temporal interference stimulation can ease symptoms in people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The approach uses two high-frequency electrical currents to create a low-frequency effect deep in the brain, targeting a region linked to the condition. Twenty participants will receive five days of stimulation sessions while continuing their usual antipsychotic medication. Researchers will measure changes in symptoms, thinking, and daily functioning, and use MRI scans to look for brain changes.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Temporal interference stimulation, a noninvasive brain stimulation technique using two high-frequency electrical currents to target deep brain regions
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a new, noninvasive way to ease symptoms for people with schizophrenia who haven't responded to standard medications.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early exploratory study, so results may not be conclusive or apply broadly. The stimulation is intense (multiple sessions daily) and could cause discomfort or other side effects.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Not a phased trial

Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.

Participants

About 20 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Jul 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 65 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Right-handed male or female participants aged 18 to 65 years, inclusive. 2. Diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), established by a psychiatrist at the attending-physician level or above and confirmed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, version 7.0.2 (MINI 7.0.2). 3. Inadequate response to sequential treatment with at least two antipsychotic medications of different chemical classes, each administered at an adequate dose (≥600 mg/day chlorpromazine equivalents) for an adequate duration (≥6 consecutive weeks at a therapeutic dose). 4. Stable dose of antipsychotic medication for at least 4 weeks before enrollment. 5. A score of 4 (moderate) or higher on at least two of the following Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) items: delusions, hallucinatory behavior, suspiciousness/persecution, or unusual thought content. 6. Ability to understand the study procedures, willingness to participate voluntarily and comply with the study procedures, and provision of written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Current diagnosis of another major psychiatric disorder other than schizophrenia that, in the investigator's judgment, may confound the diagnosis of schizophrenia or interfere with the assessment of treatment efficacy or safety. 2. Receipt of other neuromodulation treatments, including modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), within the previous 3 months, or previous participation in an interventional clinical trial involving vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) or deep brain stimulation (DBS). 3. A score ≥3 on Item 3 (suicide) of the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17), or a score \>3 on any of the following PANSS items: P4 Excitement, G14 Poor Impulse Control, P7 Hostility, or G8 Uncooperativeness. 4. Contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including intracranial metallic implants, implanted cardiac pacemakers, or cochlear implants. 5. Skull defects or fissures, or inability to tolerate stimulation-related adverse effects. 6. Treatment-resistant epilepsy or other serious medical conditions that, in the investigator's judgment, may potentially affect treatment or participation in the study. 7. Pregnancy. 8. Any other condition that, in the investigator's judgment, makes the participant unsuitable for participation in the study.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Schizophrenia, Treatment-Resistant treatment-refractory schizophrenia

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

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  1. The official record

    The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.

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