Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) As A Treatment For Cigarette Craving and Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenic

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) As A Treatment For Cigarette Craving and Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenic

This is a study of the effects of tDCS on smoking, craving for cigarettes, cognition, and psychiatric symptoms in schizophrenic patients who are current smokers or have a history of regular cigarette smoking. It assesses smoking with CO monitoring, nicotine and nicotine levels, and craving with QSU scale and response to craving slides. Cognition is measured by MCCB, symptoms are measured by PANSS and hallucination scale.

This is a double-blind sham-controlled study with active tDCS 2ma or 20 minutes over 5 days, and sham tDCS for 40 seconds on each sham occasion.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorder History of cigarette smoking

Exclusion Criteria:

• Seizure disorder or current treated neurological illness Current Acute exacerbation of psychotic state