High frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) reduces EEG-hypofrontality in patients with schizophrenia.

The reduced metabolic activity in the prefrontal brain lobes, so-called hypofrontality, is associated with increased electrophysiological delta-band activity. Schizophrenia inpatients (N=35) received sham-controlled 10Hz rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in a randomised design. After treatment, the resting electroencephalography revealed a significant decrease in the delta-band activity, which originated in the right prefrontal cortex and correlated with improvements in facial affect recognition.