Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Cigarette Addiction

May 28, 2016 updated by: Joaquim Brasil-Neto, University of Brasilia

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

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.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

30

Phase

  • 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

  • Brazil
    • DF
      • Brasília, DF, Brazil, 71910-900
        • Hospital Universitário de Brasília- HUB

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

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • smokers

Exclusion Criteria:

  • use of psychoactive drugs
  • age above 70

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: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
These subjects will receive real transcranial direct current stimulation.
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.
Placebo Comparator: Sham tDCS
These subjects will receive sham transcranial direct current stimulation (placebo)
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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change in Visual Analogue Scale of Cigarette Craving
Time Frame: Before and 7 days after treatment
Before and 7 days after treatment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change in Visual Analogue Scale of Motivation to Quit Smoking
Time Frame: Before and 7 days after intervention
Before and 7 days after intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Brasilia

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Raphael Boechat-Barros, MD, University of Brasilia

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

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

May 1, 2010

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2015

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 13, 2014

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 20, 2014

First Posted (Estimate)

May 23, 2014

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

June 1, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 28, 2016

Last Verified

May 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TAB-69168

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.

Clinical Trials on Addiction

Clinical Trials on Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Brazil

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe