| Abstract: | Aim: Craving is a critical symptom of addiction and significantly predictive of relapse. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been implied as a potential approach to reduce craving. This study aimed to investigate the safety and effectiveness of tDCS on craving and substance treatment outcomes in patients with alcohol dependence. Methods: Patients with alcohol dependence (severe alcohol use disorder) were enrolled in the study. Participants were randomized to two groups after two weeks of detoxification: 1) tDCS, and 2) sham, and received a total of 10 tDCS sessions over two weeks. Demographic data, alcohol and other substance use data were collected. The following data were gathered before (T0: week 0), during (T1: week 1), after (T2: week 2), and at follow-up (T3: week 4) to assess symptoms of craving, motivation, and other emotional symptoms: Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Alcohol Relapse Risk Scale (ARRS), Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS), Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS), Alcohol Craving Questionnaire-Short Form-Revised (ACQ-SF-R), and Alcohol Withdrawal Self The Alcohol Abstinence Self-Efficacy Scale (AASE). Results: 37 patients with alcohol dependence were randomly assigned in 2:1 ratio to 26 in the tDCS group and 11 in the sham group. A total of 2 in the tDCS group and 2 in the sham group dropped out. Using repeated measure ANOVA, significant improvements in VAS, PACS, OCDS, ARRS, BDI, BAI, and AASE scores were found in both the tDCS and sham groups after the intervention, but the differences between the two groups were not statistically significant. Conclusions: This study revealed that tDCS is a safe brain stimulation method with few adverse effects exclusive of seizures in patients with alcohol dependence. This preliminary study suggest tDCS might have potential as an adjunct to addiction treatment. |
