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INVESTIOGATION ON THE EFFECTS OF TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION (TDCS) IN PATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
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Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in improving clinical symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Subjects and Methods: This study included 70 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia based on DSM-5 criteria and treated at the Department of Psychiatry, Military Hospital 103 from June 2024 to March 2025. All patients were administered Olanzapine combined with tDCS over a three-week course. This was a non-controlled clinical trial. Clinical symptoms and PANSS scores were assessed at baseline and post-treatment. Results: Significant reductions were observed in emotional disturbances, hallucinations, delusions, and motor symptoms. In particular, auditory hallucinations (commentary type) decreased from 45.7% to 2.9%, and persecutory delusions from 45.7% to 2.9% (p < 0.001). The mean PANSS total score decreased from 104.18 ± 50.07 to 41.75 ± 24.54 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: tDCS, in combination with antipsychotic medication, is effective in alleviating psychotic symptoms, particularly hallucinations and delusions. It represents a safe and promising adjunctive therapy in schizophrenia treatment.
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Keywords
Schizophrenia, transcranial direct current stimulation, tDCS, PANSS, adjunctive treatment
References
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