STILL 3 Study (Auditory Hallucinations in Schizophrenia)

I am delighted to share with you that we are now enrolling patients for our new non-invasive brain stimulation study for auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. This study is a follow up study to STILL 2, where we found that a new type of brain stimulation approach may (with all the uncertainty of small, early pilot studies!) provide more relief than placebo or a more established form of brain stimulation. Please understand that we are pioneering this type of intervention (to our knowledge we are the first in the world to study this specific type of intervention in schizophrenia) and that there are no clear findings (yet!) that prove the effectiveness of any form of brain stimulation for the treatment of schizophrenia. Only through research we will get to that point!

In STILL 3, We are using very low power stimulation with the goal to reduce chronic auditory hallucinations associated with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. In this study, we use a form of stimulation called transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). This is a low power intervention that most participants report that they cannot even feel. Previous research, including studies done here at the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, support further investigations of this modality.
This study will also provide the research community with important and fundamental information on brain rhythms in complex disorders like schizophrenia. This is essential for enhancing our understanding of mental health at a brain-network level and may be key to unlocking future methods of treatment.
 
You may be eligible for the study if:

• You have been diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder
• You are over 18 years old
• You have at least 3 auditory hallucinations per week

 
If you are interested in the study or have questions please reach out to our Study Coordinators
 
Anthony: 919-966-9929
anthony_criscitiello@med.unc.edu
 
Morgan: 919-966-4755
morgan_alexander@med.unc.edu
 
We have locations at
UNC Chapel Hill Medical School Wings
And
Falstaff Road in Raleigh

We look forward to hearing from you. Please note that this study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Please do not forget that this is a research study and we do not know yet if any of the interventions studied will ultimately prove effective and become clinical treatments.