Ph.D. Position: Phasic TMS for the Relief of Auditory and Verbal Hallucinations in Schizophrenic Patients

Brief summary of the PhD project:

The PhD proposal will take place in the context of a randomized controlled crossover trial built on our expertise in neuroguided neuromodulation of Auditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVHs) in schizophrenia patients (SCZ). More precisely, it will implement the first level of adaptive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) delivery. After a training session, 12 weekly sessions will be scheduled per patient, over 3 months, in an ABA design (A: active stimulation, B: sham stimulation), allowing for a 2-week washout period between two active sessions in order to prevent a carry-over effect. The role of the PhD candidate will be to contribute to the recruitment of the SCZ patients, conduct and monitor the TMS delivery, and validate with quantitative (behavioral and imaging) measures the efficacy of the therapy. To do so, mean change in the AVH severity between randomization and endpoint will constitute the primary outcome measure and will be compared between the two groups. More globally, the PhD candidate will be part of a large scale and highly interdisciplinary project focussed on neurotechnologies, called LOOP within the Brain, Society & Technology Institute of the University of Lille, whose goal is to develop innovative therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. This would imply regular meetings in the various fields of expertise covered by the project (from clinical neuroscience to computer science, law and ethics).

Faculty sponsor/ PI : Prof. Renaud Jardri et Prof. Philippe Domenech

Location/ Department : Centre de neurosciences et de cognition de Lille (INSERM U-1172), équipe « Psychiatrie, subjectivité et inférence » (PSI), Lille, France