ABSTRACT
Objective: Tobacco smoking is an addictive behavior with many psychological side effects, and many smokers are unable to quit it. Despite various treatments for smoking cessation, there is an urgent need to develop and utilize a noninvasive technique with high efficacy. This study aimed to determine the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on reduction of craving in daily and social smokers. Method : This pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study, in which the participants were randomly assigned into sham and active groups, was performed on 40 daily and social smokers. Stimulation was delivered over the left DLPFC at a 2 m/A during 10 twenty-minute sessions for 5 weeks. The participants filled out the Desire for Drug questionnaire (DDQ) before and after intervention. Analysis of covariance was used for data analysis. Results: A significant decrease was found in the number of cigarette smoking in both daily and social smokers compared to the sham group. Moreover, the results indicated that anodal tDCS on F3 and Cathodal tDCS on F4 has significant effects on nicotine craving (P < 0/000). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that the current tDCS of DLPFC decreases the craving of smoking. This noninvasive brain stimulation technique targeted at DLPFC area may be a promising method for reducing and treating smoking craving.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increases the risk of several psychiatric disorders, like substance use disorders (SUDs). OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to predict the tendency for drug use from child and adult ADHD symptoms in adults among male students from Tabriz University, Iran. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For this purpose, 361 students were selected via a stratified random sampling from different faculties of Tabriz University. The students completed the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale self-report form and subscale (CAARS) questionnaire, Addiction Acknowledgment Scale (AAS) and MacAndrew Alcoholism Revised-Scale (MAC-R). RESULTS: To analyze the data Pearson correlation and multiple regressions (step by step) were used. Results indicated that there is a significant relationship between scores on the AAS and MAC-R via child and adult ADHD symptoms (P = 0.01). Moreover, we found that those with the highest addiction acknowledgment (13%) exhibited adult ADHD (total) and child ADHD. Alcohol potential (15%) was related to scores of child ADHD and impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS: According to this result behavioral disorders, especially ADHD, have an effect on the tendency to use drugs and therefore the primary treatment of behavioral disorders could prevent future drug abuse.
