Stimulation of Prefrontal Cortex and Therapy of Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Overview

Negative symptoms are regarded as the most persistent and disabling component of schizophrenia. The possibility of influencing them by means of antipsychotics remains problematic. Repetitive transcranial magnetic simulation (rTMS) presents a new opportunity for influencing negative schizophrenic symptoms. A theoretical justification of the effect of rTMS on negative schizophrenic symptoms can be seen in the fact that high-frequency rTMS has an activating impact on cortex neurons. The negative correlation between activity of the frontal cortex and severity of negative symptoms has been proved repeatedly. Another important fact is that dopamine can be released in the mesolimbic and mesostriatal brain systems by high-frequency stimulation of the frontal cortex. There are hardly any consistent published data mapping the subject in clinical practice.

Key words:
frontal cortex, treatment, negative symptoms, rTMS, schizophrenia, stimulation.