Description Module
The Description Module contains narrative descriptions of the clinical trial, including a brief summary and detailed description. These descriptions provide important information about the study's purpose, methodology, and key details in language accessible to both researchers and the general public.
Description Module path is as follows:
Study -> Protocol Section -> Description Module
Description Module
Ignite Creation Date:
2026-03-26 @ 3:19 PM
Ignite Modification Date:
2026-03-26 @ 3:19 PM
NCT ID:
NCT07428460
Brief Summary:
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an accelerated form of neuromodulation therapy can help improve negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms can include low motivation, reduced emotional expression, and difficulty with social interaction. The study will also look at how safe and tolerable this treatment is when given over a short period of time.
Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either active neuromodulation therapy or sham (placebo) stimulation. The study will also compare two different ways of choosing where to place the stimulation.
We want to learn whether this accelerated treatment approach is safe and feasible for people with schizophrenia, whether negative symptoms improve after treatment, and whether the way the stimulation site is chosen affects outcomes
Participants will be asked to complete clinical interviews and questionnaires, undergo a brain scan, receive neuromodulation therapy or sham stimulation over five consecutive days, and attend follow-up visits after treatment
This study is being conducted at three hospitals in Canada and is designed to help plan larger studies in the future.
Detailed Description:
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia, including diminished motivation, reduced emotional expression, and impaired social functioning, are a major contributor to long-term disability and remain inadequately treated by existing interventions. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex has demonstrated potential benefit for negative symptoms, but conventional treatment schedules often require multiple weeks of daily sessions, which may limit feasibility in this population.
Accelerated neuromodulation therapy delivers multiple stimulation sessions per day over a condensed time period and may improve accessibility, adherence, and tolerability. This pilot study evaluates an accelerated iTBS protocol delivered over five consecutive days in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who exhibit clinically significant negative symptoms.
Participants are randomized to receive either active neuromodulation therapy or sham stimulation. In addition, the study evaluates two approaches to stimulation targeting. Targeting approach is assigned according to study procedures designed to preserve participant and rater blinding.
All participants undergo baseline clinical, behavioral, and functional assessments, followed by the accelerated treatment protocol and post-treatment follow-up assessments. Primary outcomes focus on changes in negative symptom severity, while secondary outcomes assess depressive symptoms, functional outcomes, and task-based behavioral measures.
Study:
NCT07428460
Study Brief:
Protocol Section:
NCT07428460