Accelerated brain stimulation for negative symptoms of schizophrenia
Tests short-course brain stimulation against sham stimulation in adults with schizophrenia.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Accelerated Neuromodulation Therapy for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Key facts
- Where
- Montreal, Québec, and Verdun, CanadaSee the 3 sites
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 18 and 65 years old?
Source: NCT07428460, who can take part
Where in Canada
- Institut universitaire en santé mentale de MontréalMontreal, CanadaNot yet recruiting
- Institut universitaire de santé mentale de Québec - Centre de recherche CERVOQuébec, CanadaNot yet recruiting
- McGill Lab for Computational Psychiatry and Translation - Burland Pavilion 6875 Boulevard LaSalle Montreal, QCVerdun, CanadaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Trial code
- NCT07428460
- Record updated
- 20 August 2026
- Original description
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.Read full original descriptionShow less
Accelerated, Neuronavigated Neuromodulation Therapy for Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
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.
Inclusion: 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.
Exclusion: 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; 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; Pregnancy, lactation, or an intrauterine device; Contraindications for TMS.