Title:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Treatment of Auditory Hallucination: A Systematic Review of Clinical Efficacy
Volume: 14
Issue: 4
Author(s): Golshan Mirmomeni, Soheila Nikakhlagh, Nader Saki and Arash Bayat*
Affiliation:
- Hearing Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz,Iran
Keywords:
Auditory hallucinations, transcranial direct current stimulation, schizophrenia, randomized clinical trials, therapeutic
modality, clinical efficacy.
Abstract: Background and Objective: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a safe and
cost-effective stimulation technique that has drawn great attention as a potential therapeutic modality
for auditory hallucination (AH). This review aims to bring together the evidence from randomized
clinical trials (RCTs) on the effectiveness of tDCS for the treatment of AH in schizophrenia.
Method: Eligible articles were identified through a comprehensive search of the following electronic
databases: PsycINFO, PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane
Library, and Scopus. PRISMA protocol was used as a guide and totally 7 randomized clinical trials
(RCTs) articles were assessed as suitable and included in the review.
Results: Seven RCTs that evaluated the effects of tDCS on the severity of AHs in schizophrenic
patients were included in this review. Analysis of the outcome measures of these studies pointed
toward incongruence in the information with regard to the therapeutic use of tDCS in reducing the
severity of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.
Three RCTs reported a therapeutic benefit, manifested by reductions in severity and frequency of
auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenic patients.
Conclusion: The findings imply that tDCS has shown promising results in reducing the severity of
auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients, although in some studies, its effect was negligible.
