Scientists have found a way to reduce vocal hallucinations in schizophrenia

The new therapy reduces the frequency and volume of "voices in the head" without severe side effects. This was reported on August 6 by the authors of the study in The Lancet Psychiatry journal. The Izvestia article was reviewed on August 5.

A group of German scientists has managed to confirm the effectiveness and safety of a new method of treating vocal hallucinations in people diagnosed with schizophrenia. We are talking about a technology called CTBs, which is short magnetic pulses sent to specific areas of the brain.

"Sequential stimulation of the parietal-temporal areas of the brain using CTBs for three weeks showed good results — the symptoms in patients decreased significantly," the researchers said.

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The study involved 138 people who did not respond to conventional medications. Each of them was assigned 15 sessions of either real stimulation or imitation. After three weeks, the number and intensity of voices in those who received active treatment decreased by almost half compared to the control group.

The side effects were mild, mainly headaches and light dizziness. One case was classified as serious, but according to the researchers, it was not directly related to the procedure.

The method had a particularly good effect on the frequency, duration and volume of hallucinations. At the same time, the general condition of the patients remained stable, there were no serious impairments.

"This method can be used as an adjunct to treatment, especially in cases where medications do not help. It is safe, short in time and does not require anesthesia," the authors noted.

Scientists believe that technology can help people who have been suffering from voices in their heads for years. However, additional studies will be required to more accurately assess the effect in the long term.

On February 27, Viktor Nurdaev, a psychiatrist at the Sberbank Health medical company, told Izvestia about the three most common mental disorders. According to him, these are bipolar and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD), as well as schizophrenia.

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