Deep rTMS and Varenicline for Smoking Cessation

August 20, 2024 updated by: Bernard Le Foll, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Deep rTMS and Varenicline for Smoking Cessation: A Pilot Study Exploring the Efficacy of a Combined Treatment Approach

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of deep repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) using the insula H-coil on smoking outcomes in smokers receiving varenicline. It is hypothesized that active deep rTMS will improve abstinence rates, attenuate craving and reduce cigarette consumption and dependence severity.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study will be a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled clinical trial. Nicotine dependent participants will be recruited and randomized tor receive either active or sham rTMS intervention for 4 weeks (5 sessions/week). All participants will receive an open-label treatment of varenicline for 12 weeks and weekly counselling sessions. The aims of the study are:

  1. To examine the efficacy of bilateral deep rTMS to the insula on point prevalence smoking abstinence in smokers receiving varenicline treatment.
  2. To examine the efficacy of bilateral deep rTMS to the insula on other smoking outcomes such as craving, cigarette smoking and dependence severity.
  3. To examine the effect of bilateral deep rTMS to the insula on abstinence at the end of rTMS treatment and at 6-month follow up.

Abstinence will be measured by point prevalence at week 4 and 12 and prolonged continuous abstinence at week 26. This will be confirmed using plasma cotinine levels. All other measures will be done using various questionnaires such as Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Timeline Follow-Back (TLFB), Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS), and Tiffany Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (T-QSU).

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
50

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 2S1
        • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-65;
  • Nicotine dependent as assessed by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V);
  • Reported daily cigarette consumption ≥ 10 and expired carbon monoxide (CO) measurement of ≥ 10 ppm;
  • Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) ≥ 4;
  • Reported motivation to quit within 30 days as assessed using the Contemplation Ladder score of ≥ 7.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Reported smoking abstinence in the 3 months preceding screening visit;
  • Current use of other smoking cessation aids;
  • Allergy and/or contraindication to varenicline or rTMS;
  • Pregnancy, trying to become pregnant or breastfeeding;
  • Current or recent history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease and/or current hypertension;
  • Current or historical evidence of suicidal behavior;
  • Serious current or personal history of medical condition/disease (neurological disorders, brain lesions, multiple sclerosis, head trauma, loss of consciousness, hearing loss, etc.);
  • Current, personal history or family history of seizures;
  • Cognitive impairment as defined as a Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score <24;
  • Concomitant use of medication that lowers seizure threshold

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Deep rTMS active + Varenicline
Participants undergoing deep rTMS (active) for 4 weeks (5 sessions/week) along with 12 weeks of varenicline.
Device: Deep Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Active)
Active deep rTMS (10 Hz) using the H-coil to target the bilateral insula
Drug: Varenicline
12 week course treatment of varenicline (0.5 mg/1 mg) using the standard dosage schedule for smoking cessation (Day 1-3: 0.5 mg daily; day 4-7: 0.5 mg twice a day; day 8-end of treatment: 1 mg twice a day).
Other Names:
  • Champix
Sham Comparator: Deep rTMS sham + Varenicline
Participants undergoing deep rTMS (sham) for 4 weeks (5 sessions/week) along with 12 weeks of varenicline.
Drug: Varenicline
12 week course treatment of varenicline (0.5 mg/1 mg) using the standard dosage schedule for smoking cessation (Day 1-3: 0.5 mg daily; day 4-7: 0.5 mg twice a day; day 8-end of treatment: 1 mg twice a day).
Other Names:
  • Champix
Device: Deep Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Sham)
Sham deep rTMS using the H-coil. The sham coil is built into the same helmet as the active coil. It mimics the active coil with regards to acoustics and scalp sensations.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Point Prevalence Abstinence at the End of 12 Weeks
Time Frame: 12 weeks
Measured by self-report of smoking abstinence in the past 7 days and confirmed using plasma cotinine measurement.
12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Expired CO Measurements
Time Frame: 26 weeks
This will be used as a biological confirmation of recent smoking.
26 weeks
Fagerstrom Test For Nicotine Dependence (FTND) Score
Time Frame: 26 weeks
This will be used to assess physical dependence severity in participants. It is a 6 item scale and total scores can range from 0-10. A higher score indicates more severe nicotine dependence.
26 weeks
Cigarettes Per Day (TLFB)
Time Frame: 26 weeks
Self-reported measure of cigarette consumption.
26 weeks
Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS) Score
Time Frame: 26 weeks
This will be used to assess withdrawal symptoms. It is an 8 item scale and total scores range from 0 to 24. A higher score indicates more severe nicotine withdrawal.
26 weeks
Tiffany Questionnaire for Smoking Urges (T-QSU) Score
Time Frame: 26 weeks
This will be used to assess symptoms of craving/urges for tobacco. It is a 32 item scale and total scores range from 0 to 224. A higher score indicates more severe smoking craving/urges.
26 weeks
Point Prevalence Abstinence at the End of 4 Weeks
Time Frame: 4 weeks
Measured by self-report of smoking abstinence in the past 7 days and confirmed using plasma cotinine measurement.
4 weeks
Prolonged Abstinence From End of Treatment (Week 12) to End of Follow up (Week 26)
Time Frame: 26 weeks
Measured by self-report of smoking abstinence since the last visit and confirmed using plasma cotinine measurement.
26 weeks
Prolonged Abstinence With 2-week Grace Period at End of Follow up (Week 26)
Time Frame: 26 weeks
Measured by self-report of smoking abstinence since the last visit and confirmed using plasma cotinine measurement.
26 weeks
Continuous Abstinence at 6 Months
Time Frame: 26 weeks
Measured by self-report of smoking abstinence since the last visit and confirmed using plasma cotinine measurement.
26 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Pfizer
Brainsway

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Bernard Le Foll, MD,PhD,MCFP, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
August 22, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 13, 2022

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 30, 2022

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 6, 2019

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 6, 2019

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 10, 2019

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 4, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 20, 2024

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 051/2017

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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