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In patients with schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) are associated with lower rates of quality of life and polypharmacy. No previous controlled studies have tested the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on the treatment of OCS in this population. The present study examined the therapeutic effects of rTMS applied to the supplementary motor area (1Hz, 20min, 20 sessions) on OCS and general symptoms in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, and whether this intervention can produce changes in plasma levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. Active and sham rTMS were delivered to 12 patients (6 on each group). Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores, as well as BDNF levels, were assessed before, after, and 4 weeks after treatment. rTMS did not significantly change the outcomes after treatment and on the follow-up (Y-BOCS: Wald's X(2)=3.172; p=0.205; BPRS: X(2)=1.629; p=0.443; BDNF: X(2)=2.930; p=0.231). There seemed to be a trend towards improvement of BPRS scores 4 weeks after rTMS treatment comparing with sham (Cohen's d=0.875, with 32.9% statistical power). No side effects were reported. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed.

Almost 30% of adult patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) do not respond or tolerate standard pharmacological interventions. Few clinical investigations addressed the efficacy and tolerability of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive neuromodulatory technique, in the disorder. We performed a double-blind, sham-controlled randomized clinical trial in 17 patients with ADHD. The set up for tDCS was the following: 2mA/20min/day for 5 days with the anode over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and cathode over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. ADHD symptoms were measured by the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) and impairment with the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) in four different time points after stimulation. Participants achieved significant lower ASRS inattention and SDS scores after active tDCS in comparison with sham stimulation group. In addition, we detected a trend for a lower ASRS total score in the active tDCS group. Follow up data analysis revealed a positive interaction between time and treatment in both ASRS inattention, SDS and ASRS total scores. Short-term application of tDCS in adult patients with ADHD improved their symptoms, and this improvement persisted after the end of the stimulation. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed.