Repeated Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Methamphetamine Craving: a Randomized, Sham-Controlled Study

modulation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activity using non-invasive brain stimulation, such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), enhanced the prospects of substance use disorders rehabilitation. Methods: we carried out a randomized sham-controlled clinical trial to assess the effect of repeated tDCS at DLPFC on drug craving in 30 abstinent male methamphetamine users. The participant underwent 5 sessions of 20 minutes bilateral real or sham 2mA tDCS (anode right/ cathode left) of DLPFC. The Desire for Drug Questionnaire (DDQ) used for assessing instant craving. cue-induced craving rated on a visual analog scale(VAS) after verbal induction of craving. Results: our findings indicate that cue-induced craving reduced significantly in tDCS related to sham (p<0.05) but tDCS didn’t alter instant craving significantly. Discussion: The results indicated that repeated bilateral tDCS over DLPFC was not effective in reducing self-report instant craving, but reduced self-reported craving in the craving induction condition.