ReviewBrain sciences2024
Is Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Effective for Cognitive Dysfunction in Substance Use Disorders? A Systematic Review.
Review in Brain sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Effects of traditional Chinese exercises or their integration with medical treatments on cognitive impairment: a network meta-analysis based on randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2024Pooled it
- The Effectiveness of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Cognitive Flexibility, Working Memory, Response Inhibition, and Drug Craving in Abstinent Addicts.Addiction & health · 2026Article
- Modification of inhibitory control and craving through transcranial direct current stimulation as an add-on treatment for substance use disorder: protocol for a randomized controlled study.BMC psychology · 2025Article
- Neurobiological Mechanisms of Action of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)-A Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Invasive and Non-Invasive Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: A Review of Reviews.Brain sciences · 2025Review
- Repeated prefrontal tDCS improves cognitive emotion regulation and readiness for treatment in substance use disorder: A randomized sham-controlled study.Addictive behaviors reports · 2025Article
- Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Substance Use Disorder (SUD)-A Review and Insights into Possible Mechanisms of Action.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Exploring the therapeutic potential of tDCS, TMS and DBS in overcoming tobacco use disorder: an umbrella review.AIMS neuroscience · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) often suffer from cognitive dysfunction (CD), affecting their quality of life and daily functioning. Current treatments, including pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, have limited efficacy and notable side effects. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive technique that modulates cortical activity, shows promise in improving cognitive function with minimal side effects and low cost, and could potentially serve as a valuable adjunct to existing therapies. This systematic review aims to evaluate the literature on the effectiveness of tDCS for CD in SUD patients to inform clinical practice and future research. Following PRISMA guidelines, the review includes studies that used tDCS for SUD-related CD. The criteria for inclusion encompassed participants aged 18 and older with a diagnosis of SUD, the use of tDCS (either conventional or high-definition), control groups receiving sham stimulation or no intervention, and cognitive outcome measures for substance-related cognitive function using validated tools. Databases searched were Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and PsycINFO, with specific keywords. Twenty-two studies met the criteria, suggesting tDCS can improve cognitive functions in SUD patients, though results varied. Effectiveness may depend on the brain area targeted, stimulation parameters, task requirements, and individual differences. tDCS shows potential in treating SUD-related CD, but further research is needed to optimize stimulation protocols and address study variability. Future studies should use functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the brain mechanisms by which tDCS improves cognitive function in SUDs and focus on larger, long-term trials to confirm efficacy and refine tDCS treatment parameters.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.