Zou SJ, Shi JN. Therapeutic efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation in treating auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15(3): 99364 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i3.99364]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Shi-Jia Zou, BNurs, The 4th Ward, Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, No. 2088 Tiaoxi East Road, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, China. 15257226670@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Psychiatry
Article-Type of This Article
Meta-Analysis
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Psychiatry. Mar 19, 2025; 15(3): 99364 Published online Mar 19, 2025. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i3.99364
Therapeutic efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation in treating auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis
Shi-Jia Zou, Jin-Nan Shi
Shi-Jia Zou, Jin-Nan Shi, The 4th Ward, Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Zou SJ conceived the study and, along with Shi JN, made substantial contributions to the literature search, data extraction, quality assessment, data analyses, and manuscript preparation; Zou SJ and Shi JN also enhanced the manuscript through improvements in language, style, and protocol preparation; Zou SJ and Shi JN engaged in critical analytical discussions; Zou SJ performed the final revisions and approved the manuscript for publication, ensuring its readiness.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Shi-Jia Zou, BNurs, The 4th Ward, Huzhou Third Municipal Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou University, No. 2088 Tiaoxi East Road, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang Province, China. 15257226670@163.com
Received: July 20, 2024 Revised: December 18, 2024 Accepted: January 8, 2025 Published online: March 19, 2025 Processing time: 220 Days and 10.8 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric condition with complex symptomatology, including debilitating auditory hallucinations. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been explored as an adjunctive treatment to alleviate such symptoms.
AIM
To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of tDCS in schizophrenia.
METHODS
Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library on September 19, 2023, for randomized controlled trials examining the efficacy of tDCS in schizophrenia, with no language or time restrictions. We included studies that compared tDCS with a control condition and reported clinically relevant outcomes. Data extraction and quality assessments were performed by independent evaluators using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated, and a random-effects model was applied due to moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 41.3%).
RESULTS
Nine studies comprising 425 participants (tDCS group: 219, control group: 206) were included. The meta-analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in auditory hallucination scores following tDCS treatment (weighted mean difference: -2.18, 95% confidence interval: -4.0 to -0.29, P < 0.01). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the robustness of the results, with no significant influence from individual studies. Additionally, publication bias was not detected, supporting the reliability and generalizability of the findings. These results underscore the efficacy of tDCS as a therapeutic intervention for auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia.
CONCLUSION
tDCS significantly reduces auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia, suggesting its potential as an effective adjunctive treatment for managing this disabling symptom. The findings highlight the practical significance of tDCS in clinical settings, particularly for patients with treatment-resistant auditory hallucinations.
Core Tip: This work rigorously follows the PRISMA guidelines and includes nine studies with a total of 425 participants, highlighting a significant reduction in auditory hallucination scores post-transcranial direct current stimulation treatment. Given the pressing need for effective adjunctive treatments for schizophrenia, especially for symptoms as challenging as auditory hallucinations, our findings offer valuable insights into innovative therapeutic strategies.
