Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
SpringerLink
Log in

Transcraneal Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as Treatment for Substance Addiction

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Textbook of Addiction Treatment: International Perspectives

Abstract

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a rapidly developing noninvasive physical approach to psychiatric treatment, including substance use disorders. It involves projecting a fluctuating magnetic field (magnetic pulses), usually repetitively (rTMS), through the skull into the brain, which generates electrical currents in brain tissue and, thus, modulates neuronal firing. TMS treatment of addiction is still in an early stage and must be considered experimental. The mechanism of TMS therapeutic action in addiction is not definitively established, but may include modulation of neurotransmitter activity (especially dopamine and glutamate) in brain regions mediating addiction, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Hayashi et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:4422–4427, 2013), and disruption of cue-induced drug craving. Most, but not all, studies found reduced drug craving in the active TMS group vs. the sham group. TMS does appear well tolerated by individuals with addiction; there are no reported serious or unexpected adverse events. Research is being conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this novel intervention.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 339.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Amiaz R, Levy D, Vainiger D, Grunhaus L, Zangen A (2009) Repeated high-frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex reduces cigarette craving and consumption. Addiction 104:653–660

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bellamoli E, Manganotti P, Schwartz RP, Rimondo C, Gomma M, Serpelloni G (2013) rTMS in the treatment of drug addiction: an update about human studies. Behav Neurol, in press

    Google Scholar 

  • Bestmann S, Ruff CC, Blankenburg F, Weiskopf N, Driver J, Rothwell JC (2008) Mapping causal interregional influences with concurrent TMS-fMRI. Exp Brain Res 191:383–402

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Camprodon JA, Martinez-Raga J, Alonso-Alonso M, Shih MC, Pascual-Leone A (2007) One session of high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to the right prefrontal cortex transiently reduces cocaine craving. Drug Alcohol Depend 86:91–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cho SS, Strafella AP (2009) rTMS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex modulates dopamine release in the ipsilateral anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex. PLoS ONE 4:e6725

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Ridder D, Vanneste S, Kovacs S, Sunaert S, Dom G (2011) Transient alcohol craving suppression by rTMS of dorsal anterior cingulate: an fMRI and LORETA EEG study. Neurosci Lett 496:5–10

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Denslow S, Lomarev M, George MS, Bohning DE (2005) Cortical and subcortical brain effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)-induced movement: an interleaved TMS/functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Biol Psychiatry 57:752–760

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Eichhammer P, Johann M, Kharraz A, Binder H, Pittrow D, Wodarz N et al (2003) High-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation decreases cigarette smoking. J Clin Psychiatry 64:951–953

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald PB (2011) The emerging use of brain stimulation treatments for psychiatric disorders. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 45:923–938

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi T, Ko JH, Strafella AP, Dagher A (2013) Dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex interactions during self-control of cigarette craving. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 110:4422–4427

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herremans SC, Baeken C, Vanderbruggen N, Vanderhasselt MA, Zeeuws D, Santermans L et al (2012) No influence of one right-sided prefrontal HF-rTMS session on alcohol craving in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients: results of a naturalistic study. Drug Alcohol Depend 120:209–213

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herremans SC, Vanderhasselt MA, De RR, Baeken C (2013) Reduced intra-individual reaction time variability during a Go-NoGo task in detoxified alcohol-dependent patients after one right-sided dorsolateral prefrontal HF-rTMS session. Alcohol Alcohol 48:552–557

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoppner J, Broese T, Wendler L, Berger C, Thome J (2011) Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for treatment of alcohol dependence. World J Biol Psychiatry 12(Suppl 1):57–62

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johann M, Wiegand R, Kharraz A, Bobbe G, Sommer G, Hajak G et al (2003) Transcranial magnetic stimulation for nicotine dependence. Psychiatr Prax 30(Suppl 2):S129–S131

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kammer T, Spitzer M (2012) Brain stimulation in psychiatry: methods and magnets, patients and parameters. Curr Opin Psychiatry 25:535–541

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kluger BM, Triggs WJ (2007) Use of transcranial magnetic stimulation to influence behavior. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 7:491–497

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Nahas Z, Kozel FA, Anderson B, Bohning DE, George MS (2004) Acute left prefrontal transcranial magnetic stimulation in depressed patients is associated with immediately increased activity in prefrontal cortical as well as subcortical regions. Biol Psychiatry 55:882–890

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Hartwell KJ, Owens M, Lematty T, Borckardt JJ, Hanlon CA et al (2013) Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex reduces nicotine cue craving. Biol Psychiatry 73:714–720

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra BR, Nizamie SH, Das B, Praharaj SK (2010) Efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in alcohol dependence: a sham-controlled study. Addiction 105:49–55

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Paus T, Castro-Alamancos MA, Petrides M (2001) Cortico-cortical connectivity of the human mid-dorsolateral frontal cortex and its modulation by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Eur J Neurosci 14:1405–1411

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Politi E, Fauci E, Santoro A, Smeraldi E (2008) Daily sessions of transcranial magnetic stimulation to the left prefrontal cortex gradually reduce cocaine craving. Am J Addict 17:345–346

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rapinesi C, Kotzalidis GD, Serata D, Del CA, Bersani FS, Solfanelli A et al (2013) Efficacy of add-on deep transcranial magnetic stimulation in comorbid alcohol dependence and dysthymic disorder: three case reports. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 15(1)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ribeiro PL, Arnaut D, Mincovicks ML, Marra HD, Belline BB, Baltieri DA, Marcolin MA (2013) Transcranial magnetic stimulation of cocaine addiction. 11th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry. Kyoto, 25 June 2013

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose JE, McClernon FJ, Froeliger B, Behm FM, Preud’homme X, Krystal AD (2011) Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the superior frontal gyrus modulates craving for cigarettes. Biol Psychiatry 70:794–799

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rossini PM, Rossi S (2007) Transcranial magnetic stimulation: diagnostic, therapeutic, and research potential. Neurology 68:484–488

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Speer AM, Willis MW, Herscovitch P, Daube-Witherspoon M, Shelton JR, Benson BE et al (2003) Intensity-dependent regional cerebral blood flow during 1-Hz repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) in healthy volunteers studied with H215O positron emission tomography: II. Effects of prefrontal cortex rTMS. Biol Psychiatry 54:826–832

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wing VC, Bacher I, Wu BS, Daskalakis ZJ, George TP (2012) High frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reduces tobacco craving in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 139:264–266

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

Dr. Gorelick was supported by the Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, US National Institutes of Health. He has no conflicts of interest to report.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 21247, Baltimore, MD, 21228, USA

    David A. Gorelick

Authors
  1. David A. Gorelick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David A. Gorelick .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Alberta Gambling Research Institute University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Nady el-Guebaly

  2. Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom

    Giuseppe Carrà

  3. Division of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    Marc Galanter

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer-Verlag Italia

About this entry

Cite this entry

Gorelick, D.A. (2015). Transcraneal Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) as Treatment for Substance Addiction. In: el-Guebaly, N., Carrà, G., Galanter, M. (eds) Textbook of Addiction Treatment: International Perspectives. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5322-9_35

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5322-9_35

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-5321-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-5322-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation