Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Cigarette Addiction

Addiction Clinical Trial

Official title:

Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the Prefrontal Cortex on Cigarette Smoking

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT02146014
• Other study ID #: TAB-69168
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: May 13, 2014
• Last updated: May 28, 2016
• Start date: May 2010
• Est. completion date: December 2015

Study information

• Verified date: May 2016
• Source: University of Brasilia
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Brazil: National Committee of Ethics in Research
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Tobacco addiction is treatable with behavioral and pharmacological means, but results are often less than optimal. Transcranial direct current stimulation is a new non-invasive technique that applies weak electrical currents through the skull and has been shown to alter the excitability of certain brain areas. It is currently being tried in disorders where there is abnormal brain excitability, such as epilepsy and depression. A few studies have also been able to diminish drug craving, suggesting that brain excitability might also be altered in drug addiction.

This study aims at non-invasively changing the excitability of certain brain areas-a procedure called neuromodulation- in order to help smokers quit smoking more easily.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 30
• Est. completion date: December 2015
• Est. primary completion date: December 2015
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: Both
• Age group: 18 Years to 70 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• smokers

Exclusion Criteria:

• use of psychoactive drugs

• age above 70

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Investigator), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Addiction
• Behavior, Addictive

Intervention

Other:
• Placebo
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a procedure that uses a small battery-driven unit to deliver weak electrical currents (1-2 mA) through the intact scalp. The procedure is painless and is thought to modulate the excitability of the underlying cerebral tissue for hours or days after sessions. In the placebo group the current will be off.

Device:
• Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a procedure that uses a small battery-driven unit to deliver weak electrical currents (1-2 mA) through the intact scalp. The procedure is painless and is thought to modulate the excitability of the underlying cerebral tissue for hours or days after sessions.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Brazil	Hospital Universitário de Brasília- HUB	Brasília	DF

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Brasilia

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Brazil, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Change in Visual Analogue Scale of Cigarette Craving		Before and 7 days after treatment	No
Secondary	Change in Visual Analogue Scale of Motivation to Quit Smoking		Before and 7 days after intervention	No