Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41084082›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2025

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.

Sabine Vollstädt-Klein, Cagdas Türkmen, Nadja Grundinger, Alfred Wieland, Pascal-M Aggensteiner, Ann-Kathrin Stock, Maria Stein, Franz Moggi, Florian Bublatzky, Falk Kiefer and 2 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06959342 (Modification of Inhibitory Control and Craving Through Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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.

NCT06959342 narecruitingnot on this map

Modification of Inhibitory Control and Craving Through Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) as an Add-On Treatment for Substance Use Disorder

TypeinterventionalSponsorCentral Institute of Mental Health, MannheimRan2024 to 2027Enrolled162ConditionsAlcohol Use Disorder, Substance Use DisordersArmsTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), Inhibition Training
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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

12 authors.

Sabine Vollstädt-KleinDepartment of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, PO Box 12 21 20, Mannheim, 68072, Germany. sabine.vollstaedt-klein@zi-mannheim.de.
Cagdas TürkmenDepartment of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, PO Box 12 21 20, Mannheim, 68072, Germany.
Nadja GrundingerDepartment of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, PO Box 12 21 20, Mannheim, 68072, Germany.
Alfred WielandDepartment of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, PO Box 12 21 20, Mannheim, 68072, Germany.
Pascal-M AggensteinerMannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
Ann-Kathrin StockCognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
Maria SteinTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Franz MoggiTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Florian BublatzkyDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
Falk KieferDepartment of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, PO Box 12 21 20, Mannheim, 68072, Germany.
Tobias LinkFeuerlein Centre On Translational Addiction Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Sarah GerhardtDepartment of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, PO Box 12 21 20, Mannheim, 68072, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSubstance use disorders (SUDs) remain a prevalent public health issue characterized by a substantial disease burden and high relapse rates. The aim of this planned project is to investigate the optimal electrode placement and polarity of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to reduce cognitive deficits and substance craving in individuals with SUDs, thereby contributing to improved treatment outcomes, including longer abstinence periods and reduced substance use after relapse.

methodsThis paper is a study protocol for a planned study. The study will enroll 162 treatment-seeking individuals aged 18 to 65 years who meet the DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD), including those with other comorbid SUDs. Besides receiving treatment as usual (TAU), study participants will be randomly assigned to one of six groups: anodal stimulation over right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; Group 1), left DLPFC (Group 2), or lateral occipital cortex (Group 3); sham tDCS (Group 4); computerized inhibition training (Group 5); or TAU only (Group 6). Assessments will be conducted at baseline (T1), across the directly following investigation days (T2-T4), post-intervention (T5), and at four follow-ups (after 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks) at the Central Institute of Mental Health (Mannheim, Germany) and at the Psychiatric Center Nordbaden (Wiesloch, Germany). The primary outcomes include changes in craving and inhibitory control measured through a neuropsychological task (modified Go/No-Go task), as well as changes in electroencephalogram (EEG) activity during this task, specifically in event-related potentials including the N200 and P300 components. Secondary outcomes include abstinence days and amount of alcohol consumed. DISCUSSION: Following the completion of this study, findings from this research could inform future therapeutic strategies for SUD, potentially advancing and complementing SUD treatment approaches by integrating tDCS as a potential relapse prevention strategy. Addressing potential challenges such as participant discomfort and high dropout rates through comprehensive support is vital for the success of this study.

trial registrationRegistered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06959342 (Date 26.04.2025).

Indexed as

CravingInhibition, PsychologicalSubstance-Related DisordersTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdolescentAdultAgedAlcoholismCombined Modality TherapyDorsolateral Prefrontal CortexFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicYoung AdultAlcohol use disorderCravingInhibitory controlSubstance use disorderWorking memory

Identifiers

PMID41084082
PMCPMC12516904

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.