Evaluation of the Effect of tDCS on Cannabis Craving

Overview

Cannabis is the most frequently consumed drug in France and its use continues to increase. Over the 18-64 age group as a whole, experimentation with cannabis at least once in a lifetime increased from 33% in 2010 to 42% in 2014, confirming the upward trend observed since the 1990. Cannabis, like all drugs, disrupts the reward circuit whose neurons originate in the ventral tegmental area and project into the mesolimbic and cortical structures. Acute cannabis use is thought to increase mesolimbic dopamine by affecting the Gabaergic or Glutamatergic system. Chronic cannabis use usurps the reward system and leads to changes in the mesolimbic circuit (nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex), inducing increased craving, with persistent craving for the substance and vulnerability to relapse. Cognitively, addiction is associated with increased impulsivity, with a propensity to take risks leading to impaired decision-making. There is currently no validated drug treatment for cannabis addiction. Non-invasive brain stimulation could be an interesting therapeutic alternative.

Conditions

Interventions