[Neuromodulation methods applied to tobacco use disorder]

Smoking remains a major challenge for global public health. Neuromodulation techniques appear to be promising alternatives to current therapies. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), by modulating prefrontal circuits, seems to reduce craving and cigarette consumption with good tolerance, although its effects often fade over time. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) yields more variable outcomes, influenced by the number of sessions, patient motivation, and combination with other treatments. Neurofeedback (using functional magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalogram), allowing individuals to voluntarily regulate their brain activity, has provided encouraging preliminary results which however need to be replicated and further investigated through controlled trials. Overall, these approaches appear safe and potentially effective, but larger, standardized clinaical trials are required to confirm their role in smoking cessation.