Stopp stemmer

The “Stopp Stemmer” project began in 2016, funded by the faculty of psychology and the Trond Mohn Research Foundation. We used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) as a potential novel treatment to reduce auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia patients. In tDCS, a very low electrical current (2mA) flows between two electrodes that are attached to the head. It is non-invasive and not painful. Patients were treated with tDCS twice a day with 20 minutes each and a three-hour break between the two sessions, for five consecutive days. 

To investigate the effect of the treatment, participants and clinicians completed a set of questionnaires and clinical assessment before, immediately after, and 3 months after treatment. At the same time points, participants also underwent neuroimaging to study structural and functional changes in the brain as well as changes in neurotransmitters. We published first results, showing that the treatment led to a small reduction in auditory hallucinations that, however, was not significantly better than placebo control. For more results, please see our publications below.