Brain Stimulation to Improve Vision and Social Understanding in Schizophrenia

This study is testing a treatment called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)—a non-invasive method that uses mild electrical current to stimulate a specific brain area involved in motion perception and social understanding. Researchers believe that stimulating this region may help reverse some of the difficulties people with schizophrenia experience when recognizing emotions on faces and understanding what others are thinking. The study will compare people who receive active stimulation with those who receive a placebo (sham) version to see if the treatment actually works.

People with schizophrenia often have trouble processing moving images and understanding social cues like facial expressions and sarcasm. This trial exists to see whether directly stimulating a specific brain region involved in these abilities could improve these symptoms and help people with schizophrenia function better in daily life.