Lv Xiaoran, Kong Tao, Zhang Kaili, Yang Xiaohua, Wang Qiancheng, Xie Jiaxing, Wang Duanwei, He Yunpeng, Shan Xiaoxiao
Department of Psychiatry, Shandong Mental Health Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250014,China; Department of Psychiatry, School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong, 272002, China.
Department of Psychiatry, Shandong Mental Health Center, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250014,China.
J Psychiatr Res. 2025 Nov;191:70-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.09.018. Epub 2025 Sep 16.
Previous studies have shown that schizophrenic patients with auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) respond poorly to antipsychotic drugs. Continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), as a new type of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) treatment, has shown therapeutic effect on reducing AVH. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of cTBS on alleviating AVH and other psychotic symptoms in schizophrenic patients with AVH.
A total of 56 patients with AVH were recruited, and 50 patients were screened and ultimately included in the study. They were randomly divided into an active (cTBS) group and a control (sham) group. The active group received cTBS treatment using the left temporoparietal junction as the stimulation target, while the control group received sham stimulation. Both groups underwent a 2-week treatment. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Auditory Hallucination Rating Scale (AHRS), and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were used to assess clinical symptoms and cognitive function at baseline and after 2 weeks of treatment.
A total of 45 participants (25 in the active group and 20 in the sham group) completed the 2-week treatment. No significant difference (P > 0.05) in AHRS scores, PANSS total and subscale scores, as well as scores of cognitive functions was found between the active and sham groups at the end of the treatment. Notably, no serious adverse events occurred during the treatment period, indicating the good safety of the cTBS treatment.
The results indicated that cTBS might not present a significant advantage over sham TBS in improving AVH symptoms of schizophrenia. However, future studies with longer treatment duration and larger sample size are required.
先前的研究表明，患有幻听的精神分裂症患者对抗精神病药物反应不佳。连续θ波刺激（cTBS）作为一种新型的重复经颅磁刺激（rTMS）治疗方法，已显示出对减少幻听的治疗效果。本研究旨在评估cTBS对缓解患有幻听的精神分裂症患者的幻听及其他精神病性症状的疗效。
共招募了56名患有幻听的患者，筛选出50名患者并最终纳入研究。他们被随机分为活性（cTBS）组和对照组（假刺激组）。活性组以左侧颞顶联合为刺激靶点接受cTBS治疗，而对照组接受假刺激。两组均接受为期2周的治疗。使用阳性和阴性症状量表（PANSS）、幻听评定量表（AHRS）以及可重复神经心理状态评估量表（RBANS）在基线和治疗2周后评估临床症状和认知功能。
共有45名参与者（活性组25名，假刺激组20名）完成了为期2周的治疗。治疗结束时，活性组和假刺激组在AHRS评分、PANSS总分及分量表评分以及认知功能评分方面均未发现显著差异（P>0.05）。值得注意的是，治疗期间未发生严重不良事件，表明cTBS治疗安全性良好。
结果表明，在改善精神分裂症的幻听症状方面，cTBS可能并不比假刺激TBS具有显著优势。然而，未来需要进行更长治疗时间和更大样本量的研究。
