Effect of the Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Dependent Smoking People

Evaluation de l'Effet de la Stimulation Transcranienne en Courant Continu Chez Les Personnes Tabagiques dépendantes

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of 10 sessions of anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS - 1 mA) applied to left vs right CDLPF of tobacco-dependent subjects compared to the application of a placebo tDCS (sham procedure) on the craving, which is evaluated by the item 1 of Fagerström test between day 1 and day 10. Craving is also evaluated 1 month post-treatment.

Tobacco is the second leading cause of death worldwide. It is currently responsible for the death of one in 10 adults (about 5 million deaths per year) and it is the fourth disease risk factor in the world. Many methods to quit smoking are available but in all cases, relapse is a common phenomena. The main risk factor for relapse is craving. So, acting on the craving seems essential to modulate tobacco consumption. Many functional neuroimaging studies have established a neuroanatomical substrate for craving process, in particularly dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), accessible par neuromodulation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Fagerström score ≥ 5
• Q-MAT score ≥ 6
• smoking subjects from 10 to 30 cigarettes a day
• right-handed subjects
• w/o severe progressive somatic pathology (especially tumor diseases, degenerative diseases)
• Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 score <18

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnancy and/or lactation
• presence of a specific contraindication for tDCS (e.g. personal history of epilepsy, metallic head implant, cardiac pacemaker...)