A Randomized Controlled Trial of Medial Prefrontal Cortex Theta Burst Stimulation for Cocaine Use Disorder: A Three-Month Feasibility and Brain Target-Engagement Study.

Background: Cue-induced craving precipitates relapse in drug and alcohol use disorders. Theta burst stimulation (TBS) to the left frontal pole of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) has previously been shown to reduce drinking and brain reactivity to alcohol cues. This randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled target-engagement study aimed to assess whether TBS has similar effects in individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD).

Transdiagnostic Mood, Anxiety, and Trauma Symptom Factors in Alcohol Use Disorder: Neural Correlates Across 3 Brain Networks.

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with high rates of trauma, mood, and anxiety disorders. Across these diagnoses, individual symptoms substantially overlap, highlighting the need for a transdiagnostic approach. Furthermore, there is limited research on how transdiagnostic psychopathology impacts the neural correlates of AUD.

A pilot, randomized clinical trial: Left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex intermittent theta burst stimulation improves treatment outcomes in veterans with alcohol use disorder.

Background: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) offers a promising treatment avenue to modulate brain function in alcohol use disorder (AUD). To the best of our knowledge, this pilot study is the first randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial to deliver intermittent theta burst stimulation to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) among US veterans with AUD. We hypothesized that 20 sessions of real TMS are tolerable and feasible.

Targeting the Salience Network: A Mini-Review on a Novel Neuromodulation Approach for Treating Alcohol Use Disorder.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) continues to be challenging to treat despite the best available interventions, with two-thirds of individuals going on to relapse by 1 year after treatment. Recent advances in the brain-based conceptual framework of addiction have allowed the field to pivot into a neuromodulation approach to intervention for these devastative disorders. Small trials of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) have used protocols developed for other psychiatric conditions and applied them to those with addiction with modest efficacy.

Sex/Gender as a Factor That Influences Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Treatment Outcome: Three Potential Biological Explanations.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique which is now being used in psychiatry clinics across the world as a therapeutic tool for a variety of neural-circuit based disorders (e.g., major depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, headache, pain).

Medial Prefrontal Cortex Theta Burst Stimulation Improves Treatment Outcomes in Alcohol Use Disorder: A Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Neuroimaging Study.

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with elevated brain response to cues. Recent studies have suggested that theta burst stimulation (TBS) to the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) can decrease reactivity to cues in a transdiagnostic manner. The goal of this clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of continuous TBS as a tool to decrease drinking behavior and brain reactivity to alcohol cues among individuals with AUD.

Regionally specific gray matter volume is lower in alcohol use disorder: Implications for noninvasive brain stimulation treatment.

Background: There is growing interest in neuromodulation-based therapeutics as tools for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Through electromagnetic induction, techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can noninvasively depolarize cortical cells in the induced electrical field and monosynaptic afferents. The ability of TMS to modulate the brain is dependent upon two factors, which may be compromised in individuals with AUD: (1) gray matter volume (GMV) at the site of stimulation and (2) scalp-to-cortex (STC) distance.

Determining the optimal pulse number for theta burst induced change in cortical excitability.

Theta-burst stimulation (TBS) is a form of non-invasive neuromodulation which is delivered in an intermittent (iTBS) or continuous (cTBS) manner. Although 600 pulses is the most common dose, the goal of these experiments was to evaluate the effect of higher per-dose pulse numbers on cortical excitability. Sixty individuals were recruited for 2 experiments.

Non-invasive brain stimulation as a tool to decrease chronic pain in current opiate users: A parametric evaluation of two promising cortical targets.

Background: Poorly controlled chronic pain can lead to non-prescription use of opiates, which is a growing crisis in our communities. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive therapeutic tool which has emerged as a potential treatment option for these patients. It is still unclear, however, if the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) or the motor cortex (MC) is a more effective treatment location.

Evaluating a novel MR-compatible foot pedal device for unipedal and bipedal motion: Test-retest reliability of evoked brain activity.

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a new, open-source MR-compatible device capable of assessing unipedal and bipedal lower extremity movement with minimal head motion and high test-retest reliability. To evaluate the prototype, 20 healthy adults participated in two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visits, separated by 2-6 months, in which they performed a visually guided dorsiflexion/plantar flexion task with their left foot, right foot, and alternating feet. Dependent measures included: evoked blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the motor network, head movement associated with dorsiflexion/plantar flexion, the test-retest reliability of these measurements.

Non-invasive Brain Stimulation for Alcohol Use Disorders: State of the Art and Future Directions.

Alcohol use disorders remain one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity across the world, yet despite this impact, there are few treatment options for patients suffering from these disorders. To this end, non-invasive brain stimulation, most commonly utilizing technologies including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), has recently emerged as promising potential treatments for alcohol use disorders. Enthusiasm for these interventions is fueled by their non-invasive nature, generally favorable safety profile, and ability to target and modulate brain regions implicated in substance use disorders.

Consequences of Adolescent Exposure to the Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist WIN55,212-2 on Working Memory in Female Rats.

Marijuana is a prevalent illicit substance used by adolescents, and several studies have indicated that adolescent use can lead to long-term cognitive deficits including problems with attention and memory. However, preclinical animal studies that observe cognitive deficits after cannabinoid exposure during adolescence utilize experimenter administration of doses of cannabinoids that may exceed what an organism would choose to take, suggesting that contingency and dose are critical factors that need to be addressed in translational models of consequences of cannabinoid exposure. Indeed, we recently developed an adolescent cannabinoid self-administration paradigm in male rats, and found that prior adolescent self-administration of the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212-2 (WIN) resulted in improved working memory performance in adulthood.