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. 2023 Jun:6:100080.
doi: 10.1016/j.addicn.2023.100080. Epub 2023 Mar 5.

Brain stimulation therapeutics

Xingbao Li  1 , Mark S George  1   2 , Abraham Zangen  3
Affiliations

Brain stimulation therapeutics

Xingbao Li et al. Addict Neurosci. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

This chapter covers how repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) presently affects smoking cessation. 14 human studies have examined the efficacy of rTMS on cue craving, cigarette consumption, or smoking cessation using a variety of different coils, locations, and treatment parameters. These studies included 7 randomized-controlled trials (RCT) and 7 experimental studies. Most studies (12/14) reported that rTMS reduced cue-induced craving, 5 showed that it decreased cigarette consumption, and 3/4 reported that multiple sessions of rTMS increased the quit rate. In contrast to rTMS, tDCS has 6 RCT studies, of which only 2 studies reported that tDCS reduced craving, and only 1 reported that it reduced cigarette consumption. Three studies failed to find an effect of tDCS on cravings. No tDCS studies reported changing quitting rates in people who smoke. Despite the early positive results of tDCS on nicotine dependence symptoms, 2 larger RCTs recently failed to find a therapeutic effect of tDCS for smoking cessation. In conclusion, rTMS studies demonstrate that multiple sessions help quit smoking, and it has gained FDA approval for that purpose. However, more studies are needed to examine the effect of tDCS with different treatment parameters.

Keywords: Smoking cessation; Transcranial direct current stimulation; Transcranial magnetic stimulation.

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Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.. A network of interacting circuits underlying addiction and rTMS-targeted region of interest.
(A) Circuits are balanced in the non-addicted brain. (B) Drive-reward circuit overcomes the control circuit in the addicted brain. 1 Hz rTMS over mPFC inhibits drive-reward circuits. 10 Hz rTMS over DLPFC increases the control circuit. Modified from Volkow 2011, ref #.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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