Outcome of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation in Substance Use Disorders: A Review of Randomized Sham-Controlled Clinical Trials

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) might be a new approach to treat substance use disorders (SUD). A systematic review and critical analysis was performed to identify potential therapeutic effects of NIBS on addictions. A search of the Medline database was conducted for randomized sham-controlled trials using NIBS in the field of addiction and published until August 2016. Twenty-six studies in various SUD met the inclusion criteria. Converging evidence indicates that NIBS might be a promising mean to treat patients with alcohol and tobacco use disorders, by acting on craving reduction and other mechanisms such as improvement in cognitive dysfunctions.