RecruitingNot ApplicableNCT07010614

Brain Stimulation to the Hippocampus in Schizophrenia

Theta Burst Modulation of Hippocampal-Cortical Rhythms in Schizophrenia

Sponsor

Stanford University

Enrollment

60 participants

Start Date

Oct 1, 2025

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Conditions

Schizophrenia Disorders Mental Disorder Psychotic Disorder

Summary

Schizophrenia - marked by delusions, hallucinations, and cognitive deficits - causes the most disability of any mental health condition, but existing treatments have significant side effect burden and are often ineffective. Disordered neural activity in the hippocampus likely contributes to schizophrenia symptoms, but to develop better therapies we need to understand whether hippocampal activity in schizophrenia can be systematically affected by non-invasive brain stimulation techniques like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). This proposal will investigate the use of connectivity-guided theta burst brain stimulation to specifically target hippocampal function in schizophrenia, offering insights into fundamental hippocampal processes, schizophrenia pathophysiology, and potential avenues to use brain stimulation as a therapeutic tool in this devastating illness.

Eligibility

Min Age: 18 YearsMax Age: 65 Years

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study is exploring whether gentle brain stimulation targeted at the hippocampus (a memory-related brain area) can help reduce cognitive symptoms in people with schizophrenia. It involves non-invasive brain stimulation techniques (TMS) or, for certain patients, brain monitoring electrodes already placed for epilepsy evaluation. **You may be eligible if...** - You are 18–65 years old - You have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or a related condition (brief psychotic disorder, schizoaffective disorder, etc.) — for the non-invasive arm - OR you have medically uncontrolled epilepsy already requiring brain electrode monitoring — for the invasive arm - You have the cognitive ability to understand and consent to the study **You may NOT be eligible if...** - You have a pacemaker or metal implants in your head that are unsafe for brain stimulation - You have a history of seizures (unless already enrolled for epilepsy monitoring) - You are unable to understand the study procedures Talk to your doctor to see if this trial is right for you.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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