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RTMS Targets Neural Circuits for Smoking Cessation

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Tobacco Use
Cigarette Smoking
Interventions
Device: Sham rTMS
Device: Active rTMS 10 Hz DLPFC
Registration Number
NCT04903028
Lead Sponsor
Medical University of South Carolina
Brief Summary

Cigarette smoking is a significant public health concern. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive form of brain stimulation that has already displayed remarkable potential for producing novel, non-pharmacological interventions for depression and cigarette smokers. In this study, investigators will use brain MRI to guide TMS therapy for smoking cessation.

Detailed Description

Smoking cessation is difficult, despite the demonstrated efficacy of several pharmacotherapeutic agents and cognitive behavioral therapies. This may be due to imbalanced neuronal circuits, including elevated functional connectivity in the drive-reward circuit (medial orbital frontal cortex \[mOFC\] to nucleus accumbens \[NAc\]) and decreased functional connectivity in the executive control circuit (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex\[ DLPFC\] to NAc). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a new class of therapeutics that has already displayed remarkable potential for producing novel, non-pharmacological interventions for neuropsychiatric disorders. Previous studies have reported that rTMS decreased cue craving, reduced cigarette consumption, and increased smoking quit rate in tobacco use disorders(TUDs). However, the treatment parameters and exact mechanism for rTMS increasing smoking quit rate need further refinement. The goal of this study is to develop a circuit-based precision rTMS therapy for smoking cessation further. In the 3-year UH3 phase, investigators will conduct a randomized, double-blinded, sham-controlled trial of rTMS in 64 treatment-seeking tobacco use disorders (TUDs) smokers. Participants will be randomized to one of two conditions:

1. Sham rTMS, or 2. Active 10 Hz personalized-fMRI and E-field-modeling guided rTMS over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). All participants will receive 20 daily sessions of rTMS over 4 weeks. Functional MRI scans will be performed prior to the first TMS treatment, after TMS session 10, and after the last TMS treatment session. All participants will have a one-week follow-up and 4 monthly follow-up visits (after the last TMS session 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, and 4 months) after the last TMS session.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
64
Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Sham rTMSSham rTMSInvestigators will use electrode stimulation with 10 Hz over DLPFC, total 3000 pulses. The sham-TMS scalp discomfort was matched to that of active TMS. During real TMS there was no current flowing through the scalp electrodes.
Active rTMS 10 Hz DLPFCActive rTMS 10 Hz DLPFCA stimulation frequency of 10 Hz, pulse train duration (on time) of 5 seconds, inter-train interval (off time) of 10 seconds (15 second cycle time), E-field-modeling to determine TMS intensity and coil orientation, total of 60 trains, session time of 15 minutes, and 3000-total pulses per day, will be delivered over the left DLPFC.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
4 week continue quit rate20 weeks

Measured by self-report of smoking abstinence in the past 4 weeks and confirmed using urine cotinine measurement.

Cigarette per day20 weeks

Cigarette per day (CPD) is measured to index smoking reduction and cigarette consumption.

Adverse Event4 weeks

Participants will be asked about adverse events (AE) each visit during treatment. AEs will be measured each TMS treatment visit.

Task-functional connectivity from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)4 week

The strength of functional connectivity is used to present the brain activities. The fMRI scans will be measured before the first TMS, after 2 weeks TMS and after the last TMS treatment.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Craving for cigarettes4 weeks

Measured with a visual analog scale (VAS). The VAS has 1-7 score. The minimum is 1 which means the lowest craving for smoking. The maximum value is 7 which is the highest craving for cigarettes. Participants will be asked to complete the scale each treatment visit.

Prolonged abstinence rate from end of treatment (Week 4) to end of follow-up (Week 20).20 weeks

Measured by self-report of smoking abstinence and confirmed using urine cotinine measurement.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Medical University of South Carolina

🇺🇸

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

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