ENACT Study

STUDY BASICS

Do you have a schizophrenia diagnosis? Are you 18-50 years old? You may be eligible for a research study to examine whether transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can enhance cognition and connectivity in the brain to work alongside clozapine. Compensation is provided.

STUDY PURPOSE

The purpose of this research study is to use intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) to determine whether neurocognition and connectivity in the prefrontal cortex can be modulated in schizophrenia to increase effectiveness of treatment. We know that clozapine is effective in treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), however we have limited treatment strategies for cognitive deficits of TRS, specifically working memory. We know that certain areas of the brain are involved in cognition, but we want to find out how changing function in these areas influences brain function and memory. Eventually, the findings of this study might be useful in influencing treatment strategies. 

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOU?

Eligible participants:

• Are 18-50 years old 
• Have a schizophrenia or schizoaffective diagnosis 
• Use a treatment regimen of clozapine 

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

This study involves clinical interviews, cognitive brain testing with games, fMRI (magnetic resonance imaging) brain scans, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), or theta burst simulation (TBS). TBS is just a shorter version of TMS. 

TBS is a technique to briefly stimulate a region of your brain with a magnetic field that passes through the scalp and skull safely. We will use the MRI brain images to guide the TBS so that the stimulation is in the right place for our study. We will ask you to complete 5 sessions of TBS at each visit, separated by one month. Each time you get TBS, it will last approximately 10 minutes, with 50-minute breaks in between sessions.