Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6005775 | Brain Stimulation | 2016 | 6 Pages |
â¢We examine the effects of acute brain stimulation in a validated smoking lapse paradigm.â¢Active anodal tDCS over left DLPFC vs. sham stimulation increased latency to smoke.â¢Active tDCS (vs. sham) decreased the total number of cigarettes smoked.â¢Acute tDCS over the left DLPFC shows promise for smoking cessation treatment.
BackgroundThe ability to exert self-control over temptation is a fundamental component of smoking behavior change. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to modulate cognitive control circuits. Although prior studies show that stimulation reduces cigarette craving and self-reported smoking, effects on ability to resist smoking have not been investigated directly.ObjectivesWe assessed effects of a single 20-minute session of 1.0âmA anodal stimulation over the left DLPFC with cathodal stimulation over the right supra-orbital area (vs. sham stimulation) on ability to resist smoking in a validated smoking lapse paradigm.MethodsTwenty-five participants completed two tDCS sessions (active and sham stimulation) in a within-subject, double-blind, randomized and counterbalanced order with a 2-week washout period. Following overnight abstinence, participants received tDCS in the presence of smoking related cues; they had the option to smoke at any time or receive $1 for every 5âminutes they abstained. After 50âminutes, they participated in a 1âhour ad libitum smoking session. Primary and secondary outcomes were time to first cigarette and cigarette consumption, respectively.ResultsIn multiple regression models, active tDCS (compared to sham) significantly increased latency to smoke (pâ=â0.02) and decreased the total number of cigarettes smoked (pâ=â0.014) during the session.ConclusionThese findings suggest that acute anodal stimulation over the left DLPFC (with cathodal stimulation over the right supra-orbital area) can improve ability to resist smoking, supporting the therapeutic potential of tDCS for smoking cessation treatment.