Abstract

Background

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is one of the problems and concerns of all countries in the world. On the other hand, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used as a new therapeutic intervention in various psychiatric disorders.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effect of bilateral tDCS on the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), craving and impulsive behaviors of male patients with OUD.

Methods

This is a double-blind sham-controlled clinical trial. Participants were 31 male patients with OUD divided into three groups of left anode/right cathode tDCS, right anode/left cathode tDCS, and sham tDCS. They received active tDCS (2 mA, 20 min), applied over their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) for 10 consecutive days. Expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α cytokines were measured using ELISA method, and the Desires for Drug Questionnaire and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 were used to assess the craving and impulsivity of subjects, respectively.

Results

Both active and sham tDCS could significantly reduce drug craving in subjects (p < 0.05). Active tDCS over the right/left DLPFC significantly reduced impulsivity and its dimensions (overall, attentional, motor, and nonplanning) compared to the sham tDCS (p < 0.05). It could also reduce the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α, but the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

The active tDCS over the right/left DLPFC, as a noninvasive and complementary treatment, can be used along with other common methods for the treatment of patients with OUD. It can improve their cognitive functions by reducing impulsivity.

中文翻译：

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一项假对照临床试验，以检查双侧 tDCS 对阿片类药物使用障碍男性的渴望、TNF-α 和 IL-6 表达水平以及冲动的影响

摘要

背景

阿片类药物使用障碍（OUD）是世界各国面临的问题和关切之一。另一方面，经颅直流电刺激 (tDCS) 已被用作各种精神疾病的新治疗干预措施。

客观的

本研究旨在探讨双侧tDCS对男性OUD患者肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）和白细胞介素6（IL-6）表达水平、渴求和冲动行为的影响。

方法

这是一项双盲假对照临床试验。参与者是 31 名男性 OUD 患者，分为左阳极/右阴极 tDCS、右阳极/左阴极 tDCS 和假 tDCS 三组。他们接受了主动 tDCS（2 mA，20 分钟），连续 10 天应用于他们的背外侧前额叶皮层 (DLPFC)。采用ELISA法测定IL-6和TNF-α细胞因子的表达水平，并分别采用药物欲望问卷和Barratt冲动量表第11版评估受试者的渴望和冲动。

结果

主动和假 tDCS 都可以显着降低受试者的药物渴望（p < 0.05）。与假 tDCS 相比，右/左 DLPFC 上的主动 tDCS 显着降低了冲动性及其维度（整体、注意力、运动和非计划性）（p < 0.05）。它还可以降低IL-6和TNF-α的表达水平，但差异无统计学意义。

结论

右/左 DLPFC 上的活性 tDCS 作为一种无创和补充治疗，可与其他常用方法一起用于治疗 OUD 患者。它可以通过减少冲动来改善他们的认知功能。