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Modulating Neural Mechanisms of Reward Processing in Tobacco Users
Sponsor: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a personalized, brain-scan-guided form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) works better than a standard TMS approach at changing reward-related brain activity in adults who smoke cigarettes. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does personalized TMS produce a greater change in reward-related brain activity than the standard approach? Does personalized TMS lead to a greater reduction in cravings and cigarette smoking than the standard approach? Researchers will compare personalized TMS, which targets a treatment location chosen from each participant's own brain scan, to a standard TMS approach, which targets a location based on anatomical landmarks, to see if the personalized approach produces stronger effects on brain reward activity and smoking behavior. Participants will: Complete an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan and questionnaires about their smoking habits and mood Be randomly assigned to receive either personalized TMS or the standard TMS approach Attend 15 TMS treatment sessions over 3 weeks (Monday through Friday), including brain wave (EEG) recordings and craving check-ins before and after each session Return for follow-up visits 1 week and 1 month after finishing treatment
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 60 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
54
Start Date
2026-07-24
Completion Date
2029-07-15
Last Updated
2026-09-10
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
PRIME TMS
Repetitive TMS (10 Hz, 3,000 pulses per session, 110% resting motor threshold) delivered via a figure-8 coil using robotic neuronavigation. The stimulation target is an individualized dorsolateral prefrontal cortex location identified from each participant's diffusion-weighted MRI as having maximal structural connectivity to the midcingulate cortex. Delivered over 15 sessions across 3 weeks, concurrently with a brief reward-based cognitive task performed during inter-train intervals.
Standard TMS
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (10 Hz, 3,000 pulses per session, 110% resting motor threshold) delivered via a figure-8 coil using robotic neuronavigation. The stimulation target is a dorsolateral prefrontal cortex location identified using standardized anatomical landmarks on structural MRI, without individualized connectivity mapping. Delivered over 15 sessions across 3 weeks, without a concurrent cognitive task.
Locations (1)
Rutgers University Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience
Newark, New Jersey, United States