THE EFFECT OF NON-INVASIVE BRAIN STIMULATION (NIBS) ON ALCOHOL USE DISORDERS (AUD)

Every year, alcohol causes 3 million deaths worldwide. Even though a lot of treatments already exist, many of them are characterized by a high percentage of drop-out or relapse. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a NIBS, is receiving increased attention as a possible new addiction treatment. However, little consensus exists in the concrete parameters (e.g. montage, current, intensity). Moreover, a lot of tDCS research focuses on subjective outcomes, like the report of craving, which are more prone to different biases and fluctuations. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of HD-tDCS, a more focal stimulation variant, on AUDs. Using this intervention, stimulation can be restricted to one hemisphere, controlling for possible inhibition effects of the cathode. A between-subject design will be carried out, including 70 patients with an AUD. Participants will receive 5 sessions of either real or sham right anodal HD-tDCS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Craving will be accounted for at baseline and after every stimulation session. Moreover, we will measure the activity of the brain in rest and during two inhibition tasks (Go/NoGo and cue reactivity task). This objective measure will be carried out both before (baseline) and at two time points after the stimulation, to measure effects on both the short and longer term. One month after the intervention, abstinence will be checked through a follow-up phone call. Through this study, we aim to describe positive effects of right dlPFC stimulation on craving, abstinence, and EEG measures.