Will rTMS help you to quit smoking?
Nicotine addiction is one of the most common, strongest and dangerous addictions, killing almost 6 million people worldwide every year. Will rTMS stimulation help in the fight for smokers' lives and health? Research shows that - YES!
The aim of researchers who explored the impact of rTMS stimulation on individuals addicted to nicotine was to determine whether stimulating specific areas of a smoker’s brain could effectively help them quit smoking.
A total of 710 patients were analyzed, all of whom underwent non-invasive brain stimulation techniques designed to counteract abnormal brain activity associated with long-term nicotine use.
The most promising results were obtained through repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Increased activity in this region enhances executive functioning and cognitive control, which help patients alter their addictive behaviors. Furthermore, stimulating this area may increase dopamine release and rebalance the brain’s reward system, assisting patients in coping with withdrawal periods and cravings. Patients treated with high-frequency magnetic pulses (10 Hz) indeed reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked.
This study was the first to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of non-invasive brain stimulation techniques in nicotine-dependent individuals. The findings are promising and may, in the future, lead to further research establishing proper rTMS protocols that will not only help patients reduce their cigarette consumption but also successfully quit smoking altogether.
Authors of the study: Ping-Tao Tseng, Jia-Shyun Jeng, Bing-Syuan Zeng, Brendon Stubbs, Andre F. Carvalho, Andre R. Brunoni, Kuan-Pin Su, Yu-Kang Tu, Yi-Cheng Wu, Tien-Yu Chen, Pao-Yen Lin, Chih-Sung Liang, Chih-Wei Hsu, Yen-Wen Chen, Cheng-Ta Li
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