Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40074739›Full record

Trial reportScientific reports2025

Transcranial direct current stimulation associated with physical exercise can help smokers to quit smoking: a randomized controlled trial.

Giselma Alcantara da Silva, Lucas Chagas Silva, Euclides Maurício Trindade Filho, Mayara Vieira Damasceno, Kátia Monte-Silva, Adriana Ximenes-da-Silva

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Giselma Alcantara da SilvaInstituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas (ICBS/UFAL), Maceió, Brazil.
Lucas Chagas SilvaInstituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas (ICBS/UFAL), Maceió, Brazil.
Euclides Maurício Trindade FilhoLaboratório de Neurociências, Universidade Estadual de Ciências da Saúde de Alagoas (LABNEURO/UNCISAL), Maceió, Brazil.
Mayara Vieira DamascenoInstituto de Educação Física e Esporte, Universidade Federal de Alagoas (IEFE/UFAL), Maceió, Brazil.
Kátia Monte-SilvaLaboratório de Neurociência Aplicada, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (LANA/ UFPE, Recife, Brazil.
Adriana Ximenes-da-SilvaInstituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alagoas (ICBS/UFAL), Maceió, Brazil. aximenes@ccbi.ufal.br.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chronic exposure to nicotine is related to low activity in the prefrontal cortex and insular hyperactivity in smokers. Therefore, addiction has been the target of experimental studies in aerobic exercise (AE) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Thus, the objective of this study was to verify the effect of AE and anodal tDCS at F4 and cathodal at T3 on craving, motivation to change smoking behaviour (MCSB) and brain reactivity (BR) in smokers. The sample consisted of 41 chronic smokers distributed into four groups: tDCS (G1), AE (G2), tDCS combined with AE (G3) and sham tDCS combined with AE (G4). All volunteers underwent 5 consecutive sessions of the intended intervention. Before starting the intervention protocol and after the last intervention session, the volunteers answered questionnaires and underwent an electroencephalogram exam, to evaluate the variables investigated. The results demonstrated that AE, when associated with active tDCS, was effective in promoting a reduction in craving (p < 0,05), cigarette consumption (p < 0,05), and BR (p < 0,05) during exposure to smoking cues, in addition to increasing MCSB (p < 0,05). Therefore, only when associated with AE, tDCS was able to modulate positive effects on smoking.

Indexed as

ExerciseSmokersSmokingSmoking CessationTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultCravingElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMotivation

Identifiers

PMID40074739
PMCPMC11903688

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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.