Brain stimulation could influence cigarette cravings
Among the most popular over the counter medications available through Canadian internet pharmacies are smoking cessation aides.
Among the most popular over the counter medications available through Canadian internet pharmacies are smoking cessation aides. Previous imaging studies support the theory that different strategies to curb the urge to smoke, including gum, patches and acupuncture, all affect a particular brain circuit, which may lead to new approaches to fighting cigarette addiction.
Researchers from Duke University Medical Center conducted an experiment using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic waves to stimulate or depress brain activity.
In this latest study, the scientists discovered that high frequency TMS at 10 Hertz (Hz) to the brain's superior frontal gyrus intensified the craving for cigarettes in subjects who were viewing smoking-related images. However, low frequency TMS at 1 Hz did not cut the urge to smoke. Instead, the desire for a cigarette can be reduced through stimulation at 10 Hz for individuals looking at non-smoking cues. Furthermore, a high-frequency treatment will also interfere with a cigarette's ability to satisfy a craving, as published in Biological Psychiatry.
"This elegant study implicates the superior frontal gyrus in controlling the activity of the craving circuit," commented John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry. "Additional research will be needed to determine the potential value of repetitive TMS as a treatment for smoking."
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