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Review
. 2016 Dec;32(6):550-556.
doi: 10.1007/s12264-016-0056-3. Epub 2016 Sep 2.

Non-invasive Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Nicotine Addiction: Potential and Challenges

Li-Zhuang Yang  1 , Zhiyu Yang  1 , Xiaochu Zhang  2   3   4   5
Affiliations
Review

Non-invasive Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Nicotine Addiction: Potential and Challenges

Li-Zhuang Yang et al. Neurosci Bull. 2016 Dec.

Abstract

Tobacco consumption is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide. However, it is difficult to give up smoking by relying on the help of traditional treatments only. Recent years have witnessed emerging positive evidence that non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), such as transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct-current stimulation, can reduce smoking-related behaviors. Although their potential has been implied by advances in research, several methodological issues restrict the clinical application of NIBS to treating nicotine dependence. In this review, we critically evaluate related studies and give suggestions for future research and applications to meet these challenges.

Keywords: Addiction; NIBS; Nicotine; TMS; tDCS.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Non-invasive brain stimulation. A Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). B Transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS). C Mechanism underlying TMS. D Mechanism underlying tDCS
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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