Effect of rTMS on brain activation in XXXX with negative symptoms: A proof-of-principle study.

@entity1 @entity161
BACKGROUND: Prefrontal cortical dysfunction is frequently reported in @entity161 and is thought to underlie negative symptoms of @entity161 . Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) can modulate neuronal activity and has been shown to improve negative symptoms in @entity1 with @entity161 , but the underlying neural mechanism is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether 3weeks of 10Hz rTMS treatment of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) would improve frontal brain activation in @entity1 with negative symptoms of @entity161 , as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the Tower of London (ToL) task. METHODS: 24 @entity1 with the diagnosis of @entity161 with moderate to severe negative symptoms (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) negative subscale>= 15) participated. @entity1 were randomized to a 3-week (15day) course of active or sham rTMS. All @entity1 performed the ToL task during fMRI scanning both pre-treatment and post-treatment. Differences in brain activation between the two groups were compared non-parametrically. RESULTS: After rTMS treatment, brain activity in the active group increased in the right DLPFC and the right medial frontal gyrus as compared to the sham group. In addition, the groups significantly differed with regard to activation change in the left posterior cingulate, with decreased activation in the active and increased activation in the sham group. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with rTMS over the DLPFC may have the potential for increasing task-related activation in frontal areas in @entity1 with @entity161 . Effects of different rTMS parameters and fMRI tasks targeting relevant brain circuitry deserve further investigation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Nederlands Trial Register, registration number: NTR1261.
