Effect of Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) for Alleviating Symptoms of Schizophrenia Patients
Effect of Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) for Alleviating Symptoms of Schizophrenia Patients
To investigate the treatment effect of intermittent theta-burst transcranial magnetic
 stimulation on symptomatic relief of schizophrenia patients, and the underlying neural
 mechanism by functional MRI and the resting electroencephalogram
All patients underwent a medical evaluation that included physical examination and routine
 laboratory studies before and after intermittent theta-burst transcranial magnetic
 stimulation (iTBS) treatment. Patients were randomly allocated to iTBS group and the sham
 group by coin toss. There are about 30 patients in each group.The decision to enroll a
 patient was always made prior to randomization. Patients were studied using a double-blind
 design. Study participants, clinical raters, and all personnel responsible for the clinical
 care of the patient remained masked to allocated condition and allocation parameters. Only
 iTBS administrators had access to the randomization list; they had minimal contact with the
 patients, and no role in assessing the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Each
 patient would be treated for continuous 14 days by iTBS.Before the iTBS treatment, PANSS and
 Clinical Global Impression-severity of illness (CGI-SI) at baseline were obtained by a
 trained investigator to assess baseline severity of their symptoms. Scale for the Assessment
 of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) were
 respectively supplemented to evaluate the severity of symptoms in different dimensions,.The
 patients had receiving a battery measure of neuropsychological tests (standardized tests to
 investigate their cognitive problems, anxiety and depressive symptoms in daily life),
 magnetic resonance imaging scan in multimodalities, electroencephalography (EEG),
 event-related potentials during stop signal test and Iowa-gambling test record. Other
 behavioral tests including intertemporal decision,spatial n-back test record.

 After the last treatment, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were obtained, as well as
 the Global Index of Safety to assess adverse events of the treatment. Patients were
 instructed to focus their answers on the past 14 days. The patients had also receiving a
 battery measure of neuropsychological tests, magnetic resonance imaging scan in
 multimodalities, and EEG record.Clinical Global Impression-global improvement (CGI-GI),
 Clinical Global Impression-efficacy index (CGI-EI) were evaluated at the end of treatment.

 40-60 days after the last treatment, participants were interviewed to obtain the Positive and
 Negative Syndrome Scale,SAPS,SANS and HAMA,HAMD. They were instructed to focus their answers
 on the past week. Additionally, they were also asked to assess the battery of
 neuropsychological tests, and have magnetic resonance imaging scan in multimodalities, and
 EEG record. Afterwards, they were unblinded by the study coordinator.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Patients met diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder using
 the Structural Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Diploma in
 Social Medicine (DSM)-IV (SCID, Version 2.0).

 -  Patients remain their psychotropic medication at steady dosages for at least 4 weeks
 prior to study entry and for the duration of the trial.

 -  Verbal intelligence quotient > 85 as measured by using a Chinese version of the
 National Adult Reading Test.

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  History of significant head trauma or neurological disorders

 -  Alcohol or drug abuse Focal brain lesions on T1- or T2-weighted fluid-attenuated
 inversion-recovery magnetic resonance images

 -  a prior history of a seizure not induced by drug withdrawal,first degree relative with
 epilepsy, significant neurological illness or head trauma, endocrine disease, such as
 thyroid disease, significant unstable medical condition, recent aggression or other
 forms of behavioral dyscontrol

 -  left-handedness, pregnancy

 -  estimated intelligence quotient<80

 -  current alcohol or drug abuse

 -  inability to provide informed consent.

 -  Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale or the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score > 14