Brain zaps could silence voices that drugs Can't stop
NCT ID NCT01373866
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether a non-invasive brain stimulation technique called rTMS, guided by MRI scans, could reduce severe hallucinations in people with schizophrenia who don't respond to medication. 85 participants received either MRI-guided or standard rTMS over 5 days. The goal was to see if personalized targeting improves symptom relief.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could offer a non-drug option to ease hallucinations in people with schizophrenia who don't respond to medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed trial with 85 people. Results may not apply to everyone, and the effect might be modest or temporary.
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
-
85 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Nov 2010
- Finished
-
Feb 2022
- 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
-
13 to 60 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.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Right-handed Female/Male, \[13-60 y.o.\], * Schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR diagnosis), * Drug-resistant hallucinations (Kinon \& Kane criteria, 1993), * Unmodified antipsychotic dosage during the 30 days preceding rMTS, * No anticonvulsive medication, * No neurological disorder, no addictive behavior, * Matched for sex, age and PANSS scores, * Consent to participate to the study, Exclusion Criteria: * Pregnancy * Contraindication to MRI scan * Contraindication to rTMS treatment * Claustrophobia * No social insurance
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Lille University Hospital Centre
Lille, F-59037, France
-
Saint-Anne Psychiatric Hospital
Paris, 75005, France
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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