NCT07428460Recruiting
Accelerated Neuromodulation Therapy for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Accelerated, Neuronavigated Neuromodulation Therapy for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 20 Aug 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an accelerated form of neuromodulation therapy can help improve negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Negative symptoms can include low motivation, reduced emotional expression, and difficulty with social interaction. The study will also look at how safe and tolerable this treatment is when given over a short period of time. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either active neuromodulation therapy or sham (placebo) stimulation. The study will also compare two different ways of choosing where to place the stimulation. The investigators want to learn whether this accelerated treatment approach is safe and feasible for people with schizophrenia, whether negative symptoms improve after treatment, and whether the way the stimulation site is chosen affects outcomes Participants will be asked to complete clinical interviews and questionnaires, undergo a brain scan, receive neuromodulation therapy or sham stimulation over five consecutive days, and attend follow-up visits after treatment This study is being conducted at three hospitals in Canada and is designed to help plan larger studies in the future.
- Status (registry)
- Recruiting
- Study type
- Interventional
- Enrollment
- 75 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 12 Feb 2026
- Start date
- 1 Feb 2026
- Primary completion date
- Dec 2027
- Lead sponsor
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Diseases
- Schizophrenia
- NCT number
- NCT07428460
What you commit to
- Study type: Interventional
- Planned participants: 75
- From 1 Feb 2026 to the primary completion date, Dec 2027
- 3 sites in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Use of licit or illicit substances (excluding cannabis) during the week of treatment and in the 24 hours prior to fMRI scans
- Previous treatment with rTMS
Other illness
- History of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the past 6 months
- Documented history of significant intellectual disability
- Primary diagnosis of psychotic disorder secondary to a medical condition or substance-induced psychosis.
Other
- Pregnancy, lactation, or an intrauterine device
- Contraindications for TMS
Who the study is looking for
- Confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or schizophreniform disorder
- Duration of illness ≥ 6 months
- Clinically significant negative symptoms
- Must have been on a stable pharmacological treatment for at least 4 weeks before entering the study
- Clinicians will confirm that patients' negative and positive symptoms have been stable per their clinical opinion for at least 3 months.
- Participants must be able to provide informed consent
- Ability to undergo MRI scanning
Age in the registry: 18 years to 65 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers
Sites (3)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Montreal | Canada | Not yet recruiting |
| Institut universitaire de santé mentale de Québec - Centre de recherche CERVO Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Québec | Canada | Not yet recruiting |
| McGill Lab for Computational Psychiatry and Translation - Burland Pavilion 6875 Boulevard LaSalle Montreal, QC Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Verdun | Canada | Recruiting |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.