title: Transcranial Direct Current Brain Stimulation Increases Ability to Resist Smoking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ability to exert self-control over temptation is a fundamental component of smoking behavior change. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been shown to modulate cognitive control circuits. Although prior studies show that stimulation reduces cigarette craving and self-reported smoking, effects on ability to resist smoking have not been investigated directly.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We assessed effects of a single 20-minute session of 1.0 mA anodal stimulation over the left DLPFC with cathodal stimulation over the right supra-orbital area (vs. sham stimulation) on ability to resist smoking in a validated smoking lapse paradigm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five participants completed two tDCS sessions (active and sham stimulation) in a within-subject, double-blind, randomized and counterbalanced order with a 2-week washout period. Following overnight abstinence, participants received tDCS in the presence of smoking related cues; they had the option to smoke at any time or receive $1 for every 5 minutes they abstained. After 50 minutes, they participated in a 1 hour ad libitum smoking session. Primary and secondary outcomes were time to first cigarette and cigarette consumption, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multiple regression models, active tDCS (compared to sham) significantly increased latency to smoke (p = 0.02) and decreased the total number of cigarettes smoked (p = 0.014) during the session.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that acute anodal stimulation over the left DLPFC (with cathodal stimulation over the right supra-orbital area) can improve ability to resist smoking, supporting the therapeutic potential of tDCS for smoking cessation treatment.
authors.affiliation: Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Electronic address: mfalc@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falcone
authors.affiliation: Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bernardo
authors.affiliation: Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Ashare
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Roy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Cognition and Neural Stimulation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Olufunsho
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Faseyitan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Sherry A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McKee
authors.affiliation: Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Loughead
authors.affiliation: Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Nicotine Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Caryn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lerman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D066249:Craving / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Nicotine addiction; Smoking relapse; tDCS