The Effect of Combined Brain Stimulation and Exercise for Improving Cognitive Function in Schizophrenia

Sponsor
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Study ID
NCT07745140
Status
Not Yet Recruiting

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Conditions

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 65 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Aerobic exercise — BEHAVIORAL
    Aerobic exercise training will be conducted twice per week, over a period of 6 weeks, supervised by a well-trained facilitator. Each 45-minute session consists of a warm-up (10 minutes), treadmill walking (15 minutes), stationary bike cycling (15 minutes), and cool-down stretching (5 minutes). Heart rate will be monitored throughout training by a wearable device, and 60% of the maximum heart rate (roughly calculated by 220-age) should be maintained for at least 20 minutes during each session. Participants may stop exercising at any time if they feel uncomfortable.
  • Active tDCS — DEVICE
    Active tDCS will be applied using a wearable stimulator (Liftid) at a constant stimulation intensity of 1.2 mA for 20 minutes. The device has been designed for anodal stimulation targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using the F3 (anode) to F4 (cathode) montages.
  • Sham tDCS — DEVICE
    Sham tDCS will be performed using the same device but without stimulation. During the aerobic exercise training, all participants will wear the device, and a facilitator will turn on the stimulation for participants receiving a-tDCS+AE intervention, and pretend to turn on the stimulation for participants receiving s-tDCS+AE intervention after the first 10-minute warm-up section.

Study Details

The study will investigate the (1) additive and synergistic effects of tDCS and aerobic exercise on cognitive function and clinical symptoms in schizophrenia, and (2) neurophysiological mechanisms (mediators) underlying these effects.

Key Dates

First listed
Aug 4, 2026
Start date
Sep 1, 2026
Status verified
Jul 2026
Primary completion
Jun 30, 2028
Completion
Dec 31, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment
66 participants (estimated)
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Active Comparator: Active tDCS and aerobic exercise
  • Sham Comparator: Sham tDCS and aerobic exercise
  • No Intervention: Waitlist control group

Primary Outcome Measure

Hong Kong List Learning Test (HKLLT) [ Time Frame: Baseline and after the 6-week interventions ]

Central Contacts

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