rTMS-concurrent Behavioral Priming for Reducing Smoking Cravings

Part of paid clinical trials in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Sponsor
West Virginia University
Study ID
NCT06228235
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Smoking Behaviors
  • Smoking Reduction

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
18 Years - 60 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

Interventions

  • Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) — DEVICE
    rTMS: rTMS is a form of non-invasive brain modulation. High-frequency rTMS will be administered. Pulses will be delivered at the frequency of 20Hz, in 50 trains of 40 pulses, 2000 pulses in total. Behavioral priming with regulation of craving: During rTMS, participants will look at pictures either related or unrelated to smoking. When looking at pictures related to smoking, participants will either upregulate cravings by thinking about the immediate positive experience of smoking or downregulate cravings by thinking about long-term negative consequences of smoking. When looking at neutral pictures unrelated to smoking, participants will not regulate their cravings.

Study Details

The objective of this pilot clinical trial is to test the effects of different types of thinking strategies at the time of repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), applied to the left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC), on smoking craving and brain activity. Participants will be individuals with moderate to high smoking dependence (smoking at least 8 cigarettes a day) who have no intention of quitting in the next 3 months and are eligible to have rTMS and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The main objectives of the trial are: 1. To compare the craving-reducing effects of "upregulation" and "downregulation" of craving while looking at pictures related to cigarette smoking during rTMS versus no regulation of craving while looking at neutral pictures unrelated to smoking. 'Upregulation" is thinking about the immediate positive experience of smoking. "Downregulation" is thinking about the long-term negative consequences of smoking. 2. To examine changes in brain activity that accompany craving reductions produced by rTMS paired with upregulation and downregulation of craving while looking at pictures related to cigarette smoking versus no regulation of craving while looking at neutral pictures unrelated to smoking. Following screening for eligibility, participants will be trained on how to do upregulation and downregulation of craving. The participants will then participate in 3 testing sessions. In each session, the participants will receive rTMS at 20Hz in 50 trains (2000 pulses total), followed immediately by fMRI. Sessions will take place 1-2 weeks apart and will differ in the type of thinking strategy participants will use while looking at pictures during the rTMS: * upregulation of craving while viewing smoking-related images * downregulation of craving while viewing smoking-related images * no regulation of craving while viewing neutral smoking-unrelated images The order of sessions will be randomized across participants.

Key Dates

Start date
Apr 16, 2024
Status verified
Apr 2025
Primary completion
May 31, 2026
Completion
May 31, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
20 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Active rTMS
    There is a single arm in this open-label pilot study. All participants will receive active rTMS paired with different types of behavioral priming (upregulation of craving, downregulation of craving, no regulation of craving).

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in self-reported smoking cravings [ Time Frame: within 1 hour following the delivery of rTMS ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
West Virginia UniversityMorgantownWest Virginia26505
Mariya V Cherkasova, PhD
[email protected]
2403673068
Mariya V Cherkasova, PhD (PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR)

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West Virginia University· Morgantown, WV

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