Alizadehgoradel Jaber, Imani Saeed, Nejati Vahid, Vanderhasselt Marie-Anne, Molaei Behnam, Salehinejad Mohammad Ali, Ahmadi Shirin, Taherifard Mina
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology & Counseling Group, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2021 Nov 30;19(4):653-668. doi: 10.9758/cpn.2021.19.4.653.
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and mindfulness practices have been proposed as a potential approach to improve executive functions (EFs) and reduce craving in persons with substance use disorders. Based on the neural mechanisms of action of each of these interventions, the combination of both non-pharmacological interventions might have additive effects. In the current study, the effects of tDCS combined with mindfulness-based substance abuse treatment (MBSAT) to improve EFs and reduce craving were investigated in early abstinent methamphetamine abuse.
Eighty (youths aged between 18 and 21) early-abstinent methamphetamine users were randomly assigned to the research groups (tDCS group [n = 20], mindfulness group [n = 20], combined mindfulness-tDCS group [n = 20], and sham group [n = 20]). Active tDCS (1.5 mA,20 min, 12 sessions) or sham tDCS was appliedover the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the MBSAT protocol was used over twelve 50-min sessions.
Both in the post-test phase (immediately after the intervention) and follow-up phase (one month after the intervention), performance in most EFs tasks significantly improved in the combination group which received real tDCS ＋ MBSAT, as compared to baseline values and sham stimulation group. Similarly, a significant reduction in craving was observed after intervention inall treatment groups, but not the sham stimulation group. Interestingly, the increase in EFs and the reduction in craving post versus pre tDCS ＋ MBSAT intervention were correlated.
Findings from the current study provide initial support for the clinical effectiveness of combination tDCS ＋ MBSAT, possibly influencing cognitive/affective processes.
经颅直流电刺激（tDCS）和正念练习已被提出作为改善物质使用障碍患者执行功能（EFs）和减少渴望的一种潜在方法。基于这些干预措施各自的神经作用机制，两种非药物干预措施的联合可能具有叠加效应。在本研究中，探讨了tDCS联合基于正念的药物滥用治疗（MBSAT）对改善早期戒断甲基苯丙胺滥用者的执行功能和减少渴望的效果。
80名（年龄在18至21岁之间）早期戒断甲基苯丙胺使用者被随机分配到研究组（tDCS组[n = 20]、正念组[n = 20]、正念 - tDCS联合组[n = 20]和假刺激组[n = 20]）。在左侧背外侧前额叶皮层施加有源tDCS（1.5 mA，20分钟，12次）或假tDCS，并在12次50分钟的疗程中使用MBSAT方案。
在测试后阶段（干预后立即）和随访阶段（干预后一个月），与基线值和假刺激组相比，接受真正tDCS＋MBSAT的联合组在大多数执行功能任务中的表现显著改善。同样，在所有治疗组干预后观察到渴望显著降低，但假刺激组未出现。有趣的是，tDCS＋MBSAT干预前后执行功能的增加与渴望的降低相关。
本研究结果为tDCS＋MBSAT联合疗法的临床有效性提供了初步支持，可能影响认知/情感过程。
