Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) for Auditory Hallucinations

Intervention Treatment of Auditory Hallucination by Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation

Transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can modulate and restore neural oscillations that are reduced in patients with psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia. Here, we performed a open-lable study of clinical trial in 30 schizophrenia patients with auditory hallucinations to show that tACS is effective for auditory hallucinations.

Each week, the patient rested quietly with her eyes open while receiving alpha-frequency tACS for 40 minutes. Stimulation was delivered at 10 Hz with 1 mA zero-to-peak amplitude in-phase to the location 1 and the location 2 acquired by the MEG technique with 5*5 cm electrodes. A 5* 7 cm return electrode was centered on Cz. In total, 20 weeks.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Schizophrenia with auditory hallucinations was diagnosed by DSM-IV, AHRS >12, Take sufficient antipsychotics for at least 1 month.

Exclusion Criteria:

• current pregnancy, major medical illness affecting the central nervous system, significant neurologic disorders, intake of drugs including supplements like essential fatty acids that influence prostaglandins or niacin skin flush flash pathway metabolism, a history of suicide risk, or alcohol or drug abuse.