Using Non-invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS) With Varenicline for Treating Tobacco Dependence
Status:
Recruiting
Trial end date:
2022-05-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The addition of tDCS as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy is a novel approach but one that is
grounded in a growing evidence-base.The primary objective of this research is to provide
preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of tDCS as an adjunct treatment to pharmacotherapy
for smoking cessation. The investigators hypothesize that the addition of active tDCS to the
left DLPFC will improve the effectiveness of varenicline as reflected by higher quit rates at
end of treatment compared to the sham group. Smoking status will be biochemically confirmed
at various time points using expired cotinine measures. Furthermore, the investigators will
be collecting neuroimaging (fMRI) data as well as measures of attentional bias to explore the
neurological and physiological correlates from using adjunct tDCS and varenicline therapy.