Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Systematic Reviews
Published in: Systematic Reviews 1/2018

Open Access 01-12-2018 | Protocol

Effects of neuromodulation on cognitive performance in individuals exhibiting addictive behaviour: a systematic review protocol

Authors: Katherine R. Naish, Lana Vedelago, James MacKillop, Michael Amlung

Published in: Systematic Reviews | Issue 1/2018

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Individuals with substance use and addictive disorders often display greater risk-taking behaviour, higher impulsivity, and altered reward processing compared to individuals without these disorders. While it is not known whether cognitive biases precede or result from addictive behaviour, they likely influence addiction-related decision-making, and may facilitate pathological behaviour. There is evidence that cognitive functions—including those shown to be altered in substance use and addictive disorders—can be influenced by neuromodulation techniques (specifically, transcranial direct current stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation). Much of this work has been conducted in healthy populations, however, making it unclear whether these methods can be used effectively to modulate cognitive functioning in individuals with substance use and addictive disorders. The purpose of the current review is to shed light on the potential effectiveness and feasibility of neuromodulation as a means to improve cognitive deficits in substance use disorders.

Methods

The review will identify and evaluate studies that have examined the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on cognitive task performance in individuals with chronic substance use or dependence. Relevant studies will be identified through searches in PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Embase, and narrative review will be used to explore evidence that these techniques can be used successfully to modulate cognitive performance in populations exhibiting addictive behaviour. Assessing individual cognitive domains in turn (e.g. risk-taking, impulsivity, attention), we will critically evaluate the validity and reliability of relevant studies and draw conclusions about the strength of evidence for effective use of neuromodulation in that domain. This protocol is not yet registered with PROSPERO.

Discussion

To determine whether neuromodulation holds promise as an effective treatment for neurocognitive deficits in substance use and addictive disorders, it is essential to look carefully at previous studies using this approach in addiction samples. This review will provide an objective and informative description of what is currently known about the efficacy of these techniques, shed light on the feasibility and potential challenges of using neuromodulation in individuals who exhibit addictive behaviour, and identify the most valuable next steps for future research.
Literature
1.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.CrossRef
2.
Amlung M, Vedelago L, Acker J, Balodis I, MacKillop J. Steep delay discounting and addictive behavior: a meta-analysis of continuous associations. Addiction. 2017;112(1):51–62.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Botvin GJ, Griffin KW, Diaz T, Ifill-Williams M. Drug abuse prevention among minority adolescents: posttest and one-year follow-up of a school-based preventive intervention. Prev Sci. 2001;2(1):1–13.CrossRefPubMed
4.
Botvin GJ, Griffin KW, Diaz T, Miller N, Ifill-Williams M. Smoking initiation and escalation in early adolescent girls: one-year follow-up of a school-based prevention intervention for minority youth. J Am Med Womens Assoc. 1999;54:139–43.
5.
Cheng GL, Lee TM. Altering risky decision-making: influence of impulsivity on the neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex. Soc Neurosci. 2016;11(4):353–64.CrossRefPubMed
6.
Cho SS, Ko JH, Pellecchia G, Van Eimeren T, Cilia R, Strafella AP. Continuous theta burst stimulation of right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex induces changes in impulsivity level. Brain Stimul. 2010;3(3):170–6.CrossRefPubMed
7.
8.
9.
Dom G, Sabbe BGCC, Hulstijn W, Van Den Brink W. Substance use disorders and the orbitofrontal cortex. Br J Psychiatry. 2005;187(3):209–20.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Eberl C, Wiers RW, Pawelczack S, Rinck M, Becker ES, Lindenmeyer J. Approach bias modification in alcohol dependence: do clinical effects replicate and for whom does it work best? Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2013;4:38–51.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Fecteau S, Knoch D, Fregni F, Sultani N, Boggio P, Pascual-Leone A. Diminishing risk-taking behavior by modulating activity in the prefrontal cortex: a direct current stimulation study. J Neurosci. 2007;27(46):12500–5.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Field M, Marhe R, Franken IH. The clinical relevance of attentional bias in substance use disorders. CNS Spectr. 2014;19(3):225–30.CrossRefPubMed
13.
14.
Goldstein RZ, Volkow ND. Dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex in addiction: neuroimaging findings and clinical implications. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2011;12(11):652–69.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
15.
Grall-Bronnec M, Sauvaget A. The use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for modulating craving and addictive behaviours: a critical literature review of efficacy, technical and methodological considerations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014;47:592–613.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Grant JE, Chamberlain SR. Impulsive action and impulsive choice across substance and behavioral addictions: cause or consequence? Addict Behav. 2014;39(11):1632–9.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Higgins JP, Altman DG, Gøtzsche PC, Jüni P, Moher D, Oxman AD, Savović J, Schulz KF, Weeks L, Sterne JA. The Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias in randomised trials. Bmj. 2011;343:d5928.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
18.
19.
Hone-Blanchet A, Ciraulo DA, Pascual-Leone A, Fecteau S. Noninvasive brain stimulation to suppress craving in substance use disorders: review of human evidence and methodological considerations for future work. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2015;59:184–200.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
20.
Jansen JM, Daams JG, Koeter MW, Veltman DJ, van den Brink W, Goudriaan AE. Effects of non-invasive neurostimulation on craving: a meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2013;37(10):2472–80.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Knoch D, Gianotti LR, Pascual-Leone A, Treyer V, Regard M, Hohmann M, Brugger P. Disruption of right prefrontal cortex by low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation induces risk-taking behavior. J Neurosci. 2006;26(24):6469–72.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Ledgerwood DM, Petry NM. Gambling and suicidality in treatment-seeking pathological gamblers. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2004;192(10):711–4.CrossRefPubMed
23.
MacKillop J, Amlung MT, Few LR, Ray LA, Sweet LH, Munafò MR. Delayed reward discounting and addictive behavior: a meta-analysis. Psychopharmacology. 2011;216(3):305–21.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
24.
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, Prisma Group. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med. 2009;6(7):e1000097.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
25.
Perry JL, Carroll ME. The role of impulsive behavior in drug abuse. Psychopharmacology. 2008;200(1):1–26.CrossRefPubMed
26.
Reynolds B. A review of delay-discounting research with humans: relations to drug use and gambling. Behav Pharmacol. 2006;17(8):651–67.CrossRefPubMed
27.
Shield, K. D., Imtiaz, S., Probst, C., & Rehm, J. (2017). The epidemiology and public health burden of addictive disorders. Integrating psychological and pharmacological treatments for addictive disorders: an evidence-based guide, 1.
28.
Steel N. Global, regional, and national age-sex specific mortality for 264 causes of death, 1980–2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet. 2017;390(10100):1151–210.CrossRef
29.
van Holst RJ, van den Brink W, Veltman DJ, Goudriaan AE. Why gamblers fail to win: a review of cognitive and neuroimaging findings in pathological gambling. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2010;34(1):87–107.CrossRefPubMed
30.
Wiers RW, Eberl C, Rinck M, Becker ES, Lindenmeyer J. Retraining automatic action tendencies changes alcoholic patients’ approach bias for alcohol and improves treatment outcome. Psychol Sci. 2011;22(4):490–7.CrossRefPubMed
31.
Metadata
Title
Effects of neuromodulation on cognitive performance in individuals exhibiting addictive behaviour: a systematic review protocol
Authors
Katherine R. Naish
Lana Vedelago
James MacKillop
Michael Amlung
Publication date
01-12-2018
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Systematic Reviews / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 2046-4053
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-018-0749-y

Other articles of this Issue 1/2018

Systematic Reviews 1/2018 Go to the issue

Protocol

The HEART score in predicting major adverse cardiac events in patients presenting to the emergency department with possible acute coronary syndrome: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Protocol

Physical activity for people with young-onset dementia and carers: protocol for a scoping review

Systematic review update

Barriers to access and utilization of emergency obstetric care at health facilities in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of literature

Protocol

Emergency transportation interventions for reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review protocol

Research

Can automated content analysis be used to assess and improve the use of evidence in mental health policy? A systematic review

Protocol

Evaluating optimal utilisation of technology in type 1 diabetes mellitus from a clinical and health economic perspective: protocol for a systematic review