A Study on the Brain Mechanism of cTBS in Improving Medication-resistant Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenia

This study is dedicated to exploring the brain mechanism of medication-resistant auditory hallucinations and developing effective treatment methods for them by using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. The continuous theta burst stimulation(cTBS) treatment mode, with the left cerebellum Crus II as the stimulation target, is applied to treat the schizophrenia patients with the medication-resistant auditory hallucinations. At the same time, the first-episode schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations were recruited as a test cohort to examine that brain mechanism of general auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may be the structural and functional abnormalities in the temporoparietal circuit.

Previous studies have shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) targeted at the temporal-parietal junction can effectively treat genenal auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia, but it is not the case for medication-resistant auditory hallucinations. Studies suggested that rTMS targeted at the left Crus II might be effective for medication-resistant auditory hallucinations. This study is dedicated to exploring the brain mechanism of medication-resistant auditory hallucinations and developing effective treatment methods for them by using both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. The continuous theta burst stimulation(cTBS) treatment mode, with the left cerebellum Crus II as the stimulation target, is applied to treat the schizophrenia patients with the medication-resistant auditory hallucinations. Assessment with symptomatology, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, and machine learning methods is utilized to examine the investigators hypothesis that structural and functional abnormalities of the cerebral cortico-cerebellar-thalamic-cortical circuit (CCTCC) may contribute to brain mechanism of medication-resistant auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. At the same time, the first-episode schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations were recruited as a test cohort to examine that brain mechanism of general auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia may be the structural and functional abnormalities in the temporoparietal circuit, whereas structural and functional abnormalities of the CCTCC may contribute to brain mechanism of medication-resistant auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Written informed consent
2. 18-45 years old, right-handed
3. Meet the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia according to the Structural Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V)
4. After a sufficient course of antipsychotic treatment (more than 6 weeks, two or more antipsychotic drugs, at least one of which is the second generation of atypical antipsychotic drugs), auditory hallucinations occurred more than 5 times a day for more than 6 months
5. Stable antipsychotic medication 4 weeks before and during the treatment (except auditory hallucination symptoms)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. A history of epilepsy, convulsions, stroke or other serious brain diseases
2. There are serious infectious diseases, malignant tumors, and severe somatic comorbidity
3. Mental retardation, personality disorder and so on
4. Contraindications for magnetic resonance imaging
5. Diagnose of substance dependence or abuse as primary clinical problem
6. Pregnancy
7. Participants had received Modified Electraconvulsive Therapy (MECT) or TMS treatment in recent 6 months