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Accelerated iTBS in Smoking Cessation

C

Cyprus rTMS Center

Status

Completed

Conditions

Nicotine Dependence
Smoking Cessation

Treatments

Device: Sham intermittent theta burst stimulation
Device: Active intermittent theta burst stimulation

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT05271175
08.2019CY

Details and patient eligibility

About

Cigarette smoking is one of the foremost causes of preventable disease and premature death. In 2014, 68% of adult smokers wanted to quit smoking and in 2017, 55.1% of adult smokers had made a quit attempt. However, only a small percentage of adult smokers (7,4%) achieved to quit smoking.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a novel, powerful, non-invasive brain stimulation therapy. This study used Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS), a newer form of rTMS protocol that can be delivered in a shorter duration compared to the standard rTMS protocol, while delivering a comparable number of pulses. It is a tolerable, powerful, and useful tool in non-invasive brain stimulation therapies.

This double-blind randomized control trial evaluated the efficacy of 4 iTBS sessions per day during 5 consecutive days over the left DLPFC in smoking cessation. Moreover, it investigated whether the exposure to smoking-related cues during the rTMS treatment, compared to neutral cues impact cigarette craving.

Full description

Cigarette smoking is one of the foremost causes of preventable disease and premature death. In 2014, 68% of adult smokers wanted to quit smoking and in 2017, 55.1% of adult smokers had made a quit attempt. However, only a small percentage of adult smokers (7,4%) achieved to quit smoking. Behavioral and psychological interventions, pharmacological interventions as well as nicotine replacement therapy are some of the most used interventions for smoking cessation with medium to low success rates. Nonetheless, in recent years there has been growing interest in new, alternative, and effective treatments for smoking cessation.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a novel, powerful, non-invasive brain stimulation therapy. TMS non-invasively (transcranially) delivers magnetic pulses to a brain region, inducing electric a current that can depolarize neurons and induce action potentials. This study used Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS), a newer form of rTMS protocol that can be delivered in a shorter duration compared to the standard rTMS protocol, while delivering a comparable number of pulses. It is a tolerable, powerful, and useful tool in non-invasive brain stimulation therapies.

This double-blind randomized control trial evaluated the efficacy of 4 iTBS sessions per day during 5 consecutive days over the left DLPFC in smoking cessation. Moreover, it investigated whether the exposure to smoking-related cues during the rTMS treatment, compared to neutral cues impact cigarette craving. The investigators hypothesized that twenty sessions of accelerated theta burst simulation over the left DLPFC while exposed to smoking-related cues, would reduce cigarette consumption and cigarette cravings, accompanied by reduced stress and motivation to quit smoking, compared to both active and sham stimulation with neutral-cues.

A total of 104 cigarettes smokers, who wanted to quit smoking, were enrolled and were randomly divided into the three experimental groups: the first group received active aiTBS stimulation while watching neutral videos, the second group received active aiTBS stimulation while watching smoking-related videos and the last group received sham stimulation while watching smoking-related videos. Primary and secondary measurements were performed at the baseline, during the treatment period, at one week, one month and six months post rTMS treatment.

Enrollment

104 patients

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 70 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

  1. aged 18-70
  2. native or fluent Greek speaker.

Exclusion criteria

  1. mental objects or implants in the brain, skull or near head (e.g., pacemakers, metal plates)
  2. past or current of diagnosis of neurological or psychiatric disorder
  3. use of psychiatric medication
  4. past or current drug or alcohol abuse, other than nicotine
  5. use of IQOS ("I Quit Original Smoking") or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).

Trial design

Primary purpose

Treatment

Allocation

Randomized

Interventional model

Parallel Assignment

Masking

Double Blind

104 participants in 3 patient groups

Active TMS & Neutral videos
Experimental group
Description:
Received active iTBS stimulation while watching neutral videos
Treatment:
Device: Active intermittent theta burst stimulation
Active TMS & Smoking videos
Experimental group
Description:
Received active iTBS stimulation while watching smoking-related videos
Treatment:
Device: Active intermittent theta burst stimulation
Sham TMS & Smoking videos
Sham Comparator group
Description:
Received sham stimulation while watching smoking-related videos
Treatment:
Device: Sham intermittent theta burst stimulation

Trial documents
1

Trial contacts and locations

1

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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov

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