Application of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in the diagnosis and treatment of alcohol addicts / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Alcohol dependence as a chronic disease with high relapse rates,seriously affects individ-ual health and causes related social problems. However,the treatment of alcohol addiction currently lacks ef-fective interventions to reduce craving and prevent relapse. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ( rTMS) is an emerging intervention in the field of addiction. This paper reviews the researches to introduce the working principle of TMS and its effects on brain functions and neurotransmitters of alcohol dependent pa-tients. Studies have shown that rTMS has a certain effect on reducing alcohol craving,but the existing re-search protocols and their results are not exactly same,and the best parameters need to be clarified. Future research can try to explore optimized treatment options,and find biological efficacy indicators to provide more evidence for further clinical application.