Hippocampal transcranial temporal interference stimulation reduced craving in methamphetamine use disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Craving is a significant obstacle in treating methamphetamine use disorder (MUD).
• The hippocampus plays a crucial role in memory consolidation, a target for reducing craving via memory reconsolidation.
• Existing non-invasive methods struggle to precisely target the hippocampus for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of transcranial targeted intermittent stimulation (tTIS) on reducing craving in individuals with MUD.
• To determine if tTIS applied to the hippocampus can effectively decrease methamphetamine craving.

Main Methods:

• Forty male MUD participants were randomly assigned to either active or sham tTIS.
• Active tTIS involved daily 20-minute sessions of a 10 Hz electric field to the hippocampus for 10 days.
• Craving, cognitive function, and emotional symptoms were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and at one-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• A significant group × time interaction was found for drug cue-induced craving.
• The active tTIS group showed a significant reduction in craving post-intervention and at one-month follow-up.
• No significant changes in craving were observed in the sham tTIS group.

Conclusions:

• 10 Hz tTIS demonstrates effectiveness in reducing methamphetamine craving in MUD patients.
• tTIS represents a potential therapeutic strategy for MUD.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying neural mechanisms of tTIS efficacy.