Enhancing Brain Connectivity in Schizophrenia Through Neuromodulation (Study 1)

Eligibility Criteria

• 1. Male and female ages between ages 18-60 years
• 2. Ability to give written informed consent (age 18 or above)
• 3. Diagnosed with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and Evaluation to Sign Consent (ESC) above 10.
• 1. Inability to sign informed consent.
• 2. Any history of seizures.
• 3. Any acute and unstable major medical illnesses that may affect normal brain functioning. Examples of these conditions include, but not limited to, recent stroke, seizure, history of significant head trauma, CNS infection or tumor, other significant brain neurological conditions (As this is a study of medical comorbidity, most medical conditions, once stable, are not exclusion criteria).
• 4. Taking \> 400 mg clozapine/day.
• 5. Failed TMS screening questionnaire.
• 6. Significant alcohol or other drug use (substance dependence within 6 months or substance abuse within 1 month) other than nicotine or marijuana dependence.
• 7. A history of thrombosis, family history of thrombosis, or medical conditions that may lead to a hypercoagulable state (increased chance to develop blood clots)
• 8. Woman who is pregnant (child-bearing potential but not on contraceptive and missing menstrual period; or by self-report; or by positive urine pregnancy test).
• 9. History of head injury with loss of consciousness over 10 minutes; history of brain surgery
• 10. Cannot refrain from using alcohol and/or marijuana 24 hours or more prior to experiments.
• 11. Students and employees currently involved with our lab (lab employees and personnel will be excluded from the study to avoid possible coercion or possible appearance of coercion, or chance of breach of privacy and confidentiality).
• 12. For MRI, unable to undergo MRI scanning due to metallic devices or objects (cardiac pacemaker or neurostimulator, some artificial joints, metal pins, surgical clips, or other implanted metal parts) or claustrophobic to the scanner.