NCT03189810: rTMSCANSZ

Effects of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) on Cannabis Use and Cognitive Outcomes in Schizophrenia

Completed NA Last updated 5 September 2023

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in 24 participants. Completed in 30 June 2021.

Timeline

1 June 2017

Primary endpoint
30 June 2021

30 June 2021

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Phase	NA
Status	Completed
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	quadruple
Primary purpose	treatment
Enrollment	24
Start date	1 June 2017
Primary completion	30 June 2021
Estimated completion	30 June 2021
Sites	1 location across Canada

Drugs / interventions tested

• Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
• Sham Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
• Weekly Counselling Session

Conditions studied

• Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) — all drugs for Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) →
• Schizophrenia — all drugs for Schizophrenia →
• Cannabis Use Disorder — all drugs for Cannabis Use Disorder →
• Cognition — all drugs for Cognition →

Sponsor

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health — full company profile →

Who can join

Adults 18 to 55, any sex, with Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) or Schizophrenia. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.

Sponsor's own description

The high prevalence of cannabis and other substance use disorders are a major barrier to recovery in people with schizophrenia. Moreover, schizophrenia patients have significant deficits in cognitive function, which may be exacerbated by cannabis use. Complicating these problems is the lack of evidence-based treatments for co-morbid cannabis use disorders (CUDs) in schizophrenia; there are no established pharmacotherapies. Therefore, this study is investigating the effects of high-frequency (20Hz) repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on cannabis use disorder and cognitive function in patients with co-morbid schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. The proposed study would be the first randomized, double-blind, sham controlled trial of rTMS in patients with schizophrenia and co-morbid CUD. A total of N=40 schizophrenia smokers with co-morbid cannabis use disorder will be assigned to either active rTMS (N=20) or sham rTMS (N=20) as a treatment regimen of 5X/week treatment for four consecutive weeks. All participants will receive weekly behavioral therapy for 4 weeks. The investigators predict that active rTMS will be well-tolerated and superior to sham rTMS for the treatment of CUD in schizophrenia.

Publications & conference data

4 peer-reviewed publications reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):

1. Investigating repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on cannabis use and cognition in people with schizophrenia.
   Bidzinski KK, Lowe DJE, Sanches M, Sorkhou M, et al · · 2022 · cited 13× · PMID 35210458 · DOI 10.1038/s41537-022-00210-6
2. Neurocognitive moderation of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) effects on cannabis use in schizophrenia: a preliminary analysis.
   Johnstone S, Lowe DJE, Kozak-Bidzinski K, Sanches M, et al · · 2022 · cited 6× · PMID 36384966 · DOI 10.1038/s41537-022-00303-2
3. Trends of Brain Stimulation Research in Substance Use Disorder: A Review of ClinicalTrials.gov Registered Trials and Their Publications.
   Biswas T, Singh GK, Mishra P, Mishra BR, et al · · 2026 · cited 1× · PMID 39677515 · DOI 10.1177/02537176241300195
4. Cannabis cravings predict cigarette use in schizophrenia: a secondary analysis from two cannabis abstinence studies.
   Johnstone S, Sorkhou M, Zhang M, Dermody SS, et al · · 2024 · PMID 38214479 · DOI 10.1080/00952990.2023.2292010