Effects of varied rTMS frequencies on cognitive function in individuals with chronic schizophrenia: A double-blind randomized controlled trial.

Background: Accumulating evidence has indicated the effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on cognitive improvements in individuals with schizophrenia. However, the comparative effectiveness of low-frequency rTMS versus high-frequency rTMS on cognitive improvements remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the difference in the efficacy of low and high-frequency rTMS on cognitive function in chronic individuals with schizophrenia.

Methods: Ninety patients with chronic schizophrenia were randomly assigned to three groups: low-frequency (1Hz) rTMS group, high-frequency (10Hz) rTMS group, and sham group. rTMS treatment targeted the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was conducted for 4 weeks. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), while cognitive function was measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at baseline and the 4th week of treatment.

Results: Following the 4-week treatment, both low-frequency rTMS and high-frequency rTMS decreased PANSS negative symptoms while improving the MoCA subscales related to visuospatial/executive function and delayed memory. High-frequency rTMS demonstrated superiority over low-frequency rTMS in alleviating negative symptoms and enhancing delayed memory.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that rTMS is an effective approach for enhancing cognitive function in chronic schizophrenia. Furthermore, high-frequency rTMS emerges as more effective than low-frequency rTMS in improving negative symptoms and delayed memory.

Registration Number: NCT03273439.