Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation - Tobacco Use Disorder

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation as an Intervention in Tobacco Use Disorder: Effects on Consumption and Craving

This study aims to detect how transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) affects smokers' inhibitory control, craving and consumption of tobacco goods.

Participating smokers are to receive anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) for 20 minutes on five consecutive days. Neuropsychological tests on inhibitory control and interviews on smoking habits and craving will be applied before and after the first stimulation as well as after the fifth stimulation.

After a follow-up period of three days, smoking behaviour will be assessed in a telephone interview.

Changes in inhibitory control and smoking behaviour will be compared between an active and a sham stimulation group.This way the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on tobacco use disorder are to be clarified.

Inclusion Criteria:

• tobacco use disorder
• normal or correctable eyesight
• sufficient ability to communicate with the investigators, to answer questions in oral and written form
• fully informed consent
• written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• withdrawal of the declaration of consent
• exclusion criteria for tDCS (metal implants in the head, acute eczema, known epilepsy)
• severe internal, neurological or psychiatric comorbidity
• pharmacotherapy with psychoactive substances within the last 14 days
• axis-I disorder according to ICD-10 and DSM 5 (except tobacco use disorder)
• positive urin drug screening (cannabis, amphetamine, opiates, benzodiazepines, cocaine)
• pregnancy