Unfortunately, one of the biggest problems of our age is cigarette addiction. Although we all know the harms of smoking as well as our name, it is not easy to get rid of this trouble. However, scientific studies continue to provide hope for smokers. So much so that a new treatment method has been developed that will make it easier to quit smoking. The scientific world describes this new method as “promising”.
A group of scientists working at Dijon University Hospital in France conducted a series of studies involving 699 people. Within the scope of studies consisting of seven different studies in total, it was determined that the non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) method, which was particularly successful in alcohol addiction, could also be effective for smoking.
The probability of quitting smoking with the NIBS method is 2.39 times higher
Scientists formed some control groups in all seven studies. In other words, some of those included in the study were given the real NIBS method, while others were given fake NIBS. However, the smokers involved in the study were unaware of this.
As a result of the examinations, the probability of quitting smoking in the people to whom the NIBS technique was applied was 2.39 times that of the people who did not apply the technique. So NIBS was effective in quitting smoking. So everything is ok, but what is this NIBS method? Let’s look at the details of this treatment method, which has been used in recent years.
There are two commonly used forms of the NIBS treatment method. These are called tDCS and TMS. In the tDCS form, electrodes are placed on the patient’s scalp and a low-intensity electrical current is sent to the brain. In the TMS form, a metallic coil is placed on the scalp. The coil, which produces magnetic waves, provides stimulation of a certain region of the brain. In other words, in both forms, the part of the human brain that wants cigarettes is suppressed. This suppression reduces the desire to smoke and eventually comes to the point of quitting.