ArticleSchizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany)2026
Cognitive and emotional effects of bilateral prefrontal anodal tDCS and high-frequency tRNS in schizophrenia: a randomized sham-controlled study.
Article in Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06155786 (Cognitive Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation), which is not on this map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Cognitive Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation (tRNS) in Schizophrenia: A Random, Crossover Study
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Optimized multichannel 4 mA vs conventional transcranial direct current stimulation for major depressive disorder: A randomized sham-controlled trial.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Trial
- Limited Efficacy of 3 mA Intensified tDCS of the Right Inferior Frontal Cortex for OCD Treatment: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Study.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2026Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia significantly hinder functional outcomes and often remain unresponsive to conventional treatments. While initial evidence suggested potential pro-cognitive effects of electrical brain stimulation in schizophrenia, recent meta-analyses have not supported these findings, warranting further investigation on intervention optimization. This sham-controlled crossover study explored cognitive and emotional effects of bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) in schizophrenia. Thirty-six male patients with schizophrenia participated in a crossover trial, receiving three sessions (tDCS, tRNS, sham) in counterbalanced order with 1-week intervals. tDCS and tRNS sessions involved 20-min 2 mA anodal stimulation and 2 mA 100-640 Hz random noise stimulation targeting the left and right DLPFCs (F3-F4) with two extracephalic return electrodes. Executive functions (working memory, spatial planning) were assessed during stimulation, and emotional changes were measured with the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) pre- and post-stimulation. Additionally, side effects and blinding efficacy were evaluated. Both bilateral DLPFC anodal tDCS and high-frequency tRNS significantly improved planning performance (mean problems solved, mean number of moves) compared to sham, with tRNS additionally enhancing working memory accuracy and strategy score. Both interventions increased positive affect and reduced negative affect after the intervention, with tRNS showing greater enhancement of positive emotions. Reduced negative affect after tRNS was correlated with improved executive planning. Side effects were minimal, and blinding was effective for the sham condition. Bilateral DLPFC anodal tDCS and high-frequency tRNS show promise as adjunctive treatments for schizophrenia, especially for cognitive deficits, with broader cognitive and emotional benefits observed with tRNS. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06155786 https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06155786 .
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.