Transcranial electrical and magnetic stimulation (tES and TMS) for addiction medicine: A consensus paper on the present state of the science and the road ahead

• Authors: Hamed Ekhtiari, Laureate Institute for Brain Research; Hosna Tavakoli, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies; Giovanni Addolorato, Catholic University of Rome; Chris Baeken, University Hospital Ghent; Antonello Bonci, National Institute on Drug Abuse; Salvatore Campanella, Université Libre de Bruxelles; Luis Castelo-Branco, Harvard University; Gaelle Challet-Bouju, Nantes Universite; William McDonald, Emory University; Justine Welsh, Emory University
• Journal Title: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Review
• Volume: Volume 104
• Publisher: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. | 2019-09-01, Pages 118-140
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.007
• Subjects: Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, Cognitive; Psychology, Behavioral
• Keywords: Science & Technology; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Behavioral Sciences; Neurosciences; Neurosciences & Neurology; Substance use disorder; Addiction; Non-invasive brain stimulation; Transcranial electrical stimulation; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; rTMS; tDCS; tES; NIBS; Psychiatry; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Noninvasive brain stimulation; Theta burst stimulation; Alcohol dependent moments; Human motor cortex; Major depressive disorder; Substance use disorder; Compulsive drug use; Go-Nogo task; Functional connectivity

Abstract

There is growing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as a novel treatment option for substance-use disorders (SUDs). Recent momentum stems from a foundation of preclinical neuroscience demonstrating links between neural circuits and drug consuming behavior, as well as recent FDA-approval of NIBS treatments for mental health disorders that share overlapping pathology with SUDs. As with any emerging field, enthusiasm must be tempered by reason; lessons learned from the past should be prudently applied to future therapies. Here, an international ensemble of experts provides an overview of the state of transcranial-electrical (tES) and transcranial-magnetic (TMS) stimulation applied in SUDs. This consensus paper provides a systematic literature review on published data – emphasizing the heterogeneity of methods and outcome measures while suggesting strategies to help bridge knowledge gaps. The goal of this effort is to provide the community with guidelines for best practices in tES/TMS SUD research. We hope this will accelerate the speed at which the community translates basic neuroscience into advanced neuromodulation tools for clinical practice in addiction medicine.