Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Smoking Cessation: Clinical and Neurocognitive Outcomes Among Turkish Adults

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to determine whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a beneficial smoking cessation technique in a sociocultural environment where cigarette smoking is highly prevalent. To our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the impact of tDCS on smoking behavior in Turkey. METHODS: Cigarette smokers with elevated scores on the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) were assigned to active-tDCS or sham-tDCS groups. Active-tDCS protocol consisted of anodal stimulation of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Moreover, executive function was evaluated prior to initiation of the tDCS intervention and following completion of a two-week stimulation series. Participants underwent one tDCS session per day, 5 days each week. We tested the hypothesis that cigarette smokers receiving active tDCS would demonstrate reduction in smoking rate following extended tDCS relative to smokers receiving sham stimulation. Post-treatment assessments were conducted weekly for one month after the final tDCS session. RESULTS: Active- and sham-tDCS groups differed on two smoking-related variables at baseline (FTND score and cigarette consumption rate); therefore, analyses controlling for baseline differences were carried out and revealed that group differences did not reach significance for smoking-related variables or clinical measures. Moreover, active and sham groups did not differ at post-treatment assessment on tests of executive control, an unexpected outcome given the extensive literature on anodal DLPFC stimulation and augmented executive function. CONCLUSION: Unfortunately, in the present modest study, tDCS was not an effective smoking cessation approach among adult smokers in this sociocultural milieu.