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Pharmacopsychiatry 2010; 43(3): 110-117
DOI: 10.1055/s-0029-1242824
Original Paper

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Tolerability of rTMS Treatment in Schizophrenia with Respect to Cognitive Function

M. Mittrach1 , J. Thünker1 , G. Winterer3 , M. W. Agelink2 , G. Regenbrecht1 , M. Arends1 , A. Mobascher1 , S.-J. Kim1 , W. Wölwer1 , J. Brinkmeyer1 , W. Gaebel1 , J. Cordes1
  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
  • 2Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic, Herford, Germany
  • 3Institute for Genetics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
Further Information

Publication History

received 17.10.2008 revised 28.09.2009

accepted 06.10.2009

Publication Date:
02 February 2010 (online)

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Abstract

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess tolerability and safety of high-frequency rTMS with regard to cognitive performance when conducted as “add-on” treatment in chronic schizophrenia in-patients (n=32).

Methods: Patients, who were on stable antipsychotic treatment, were randomly assigned to verum or sham condition (double-blind). In the verum group, ten sessions of 10 Hz rTMS with a total of 10 000 stimuli were applied over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) at 110% of motor threshold over a period of two weeks. The sham group received corresponding sham stimulation. RTMS effects on cognitive performance were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery consisting of the following tests: trail making test A and B (TMT), Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), D2 attention task and the “short test of general intelligence” (KAI).

Results: No statistically significant deterioration of cognitive performance was observed as a result of rTMS treatment. Moreover it was shown that in the verum group patients with a less favourable performance on the WCST at baseline tend to improve after rTMS treatment with regard to psychopathology as opposed to patients in the control group.

Discussion: The stability of cognitive function suggests good tolerability of rTMS treatment in schizophrenia. The absence of evidence for cognitive deterioration could be due to low and short stimulation parameters.

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Correspondence

J. CordesMD 

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy

Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf

Bergische Landstraße 2

40629 Düsseldorf

Germany

Phone: +49/(0)211/922 3402

Fax: +49/(0)211/922 3615

Email: Joachim.cordes@lvr.de