Transcranial magnetic stimulation of left temporoparietal cortex in three patients reporting hallucinated "voices".

BACKGROUND

Prior studies suggest that auditory hallucinations of "voices" arise from activation of speech perception areas of the cerebral cortex. Low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can reduce cortical activation.

METHODS

We have studied three schizophrenic patients reporting persistent auditory hallucinations to determine if low frequency TMS could curtail these experiences. One hertz stimulation of left temporoparietal cortex was compared with sham stimulation using a double-blind, cross-over design.

RESULTS

All three patients demonstrated greater improvement in hallucination severity following active stimulation compared to sham stimulation. Two of the three patients reported near total cessation of hallucinations for > or = 2 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

TMS may advance our understanding of the mechanism and treatment of auditory hallucinations.