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Therapies
- 19 March 2024

Addictions: The Innovative Therapy Studied by the Istituto di Neuroscienze

A recent study conducted by the Istituto di Neuroscienze and published in the prestigious International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction offers new hope for the treatment of addictions through an innovative therapy with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

Substance and Behavioral Addictions ― A Public Health Issue

Substance Use Disorders and Behavioral Addictions ― such as Gambling Disorder ― represent a growing public health problem. In fact, these disorders cause a negative impact on the lives of those suffering from them and on the entire society.

The two types of addiction have remarkable similarities, including:

  • Difficulty controlling one's behavior;

  • Craving, tolerance, and withdrawal;

  • Ongoing engagement in addictive behavior despite the negative consequences it causes.

Thanks to recent neuroscience research, the understanding of the neural substrates underlying substance and behavioral addictions has increased. In recent years, the field of psychiatry has turned a special interest toward Behavioral Addictions, mainly due to the significant increase in the number of people who suffer from them and the paucity of effective therapies available.

The study by the Istituto of NeuroscienceNew Hope for Addiction Treatment

To address the increasingly pressing problem of addictions, a recent study ― conducted by the Istituto di Neuroscienze in collaboration with prestigious international research groups including Harvard University ― has tested the efficacy of an innovative therapy that uses a particular Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) protocol: Theta Burst Stimulation.

The research ― published in the prestigious International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction ― involved two groups of patients diagnosed with Gambling Disorder and Substance Addiction, focusing on modulating the activity of a specific brain area involved in the brain mechanisms underlying addictions: the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA).

The results obtained from the study were encouraging for both groups! Through the magnetic action applied to the pre-SMA, transcranial stimulation was able to produce:

  • A reduction in the intensity of craving, that is, the intense desire to engage in the addictive behavior;

  • Una diminuzione della gravità complessiva della dipendenza misurata attraverso questionari specifici;

  • A decrease in the overall severity of addiction as measured by specific questionnaires;

  • A reduction in impulsivity within the group of subjects with substance addictions. This latter result is particularly significant because impulsivity is often at the root of relapses experienced by those with addiction.

How Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS) Works

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that uses the magnetic field to stimulate or inhibit specific brain areas. A magnetic pulse can painlessly penetrate the treated person's skull and reach the cerebral cortex, inducing a stimulatory current capable of modulating the activity of neuron cells.

The Theta Burst Stimulation (TBS) protocol is a new and promising modality of TMS administration that uses high-frequency magnetic pulses (50Hz) to deliver two different types of protocols capable of obtaining opposite effects on brain cells:

  1. Continuous TBS: capable of reducing the brain activity of the cortical areas of interest;

  2. Intermittent TBS: capable of increasing the brain activity of the cortical regions of interest.

Thanks to its high stimulation intensity, TBS can stimulate the brain in a more effective and lasting way than standard stimulation, potentially obtaining positive effects in a shorter time and sometimes lasting longer than those obtained with standard TMS.

A Step Forward Towards Targeted Therapies

The study conducted by the Istituto di Neuroscienze represents a real step forward in the search for effective treatments for addictions, as it highlights the potential of Theta Burst Stimulation as a targeted and effective treatment for these disorders.

In the study, Theta Burst stimulation was applied to the pre-SMA ― an area of the brain involved in behavior selection and inhibitory control ― suggesting that by improving the functionality of this brain area, it may be possible to increase the ability to resist addiction-related impulses.

Dr. Pallanti's research is the first to have directly investigated the effects of this kind of stimulation on Substance Addictions, comparing the efficacy of this protocol between these disorders and Behavioral Addictions.

The study therefore offers valuable insights for the development of increasingly targeted interventions capable of reducing the negative impact of addictions on the lives of those who suffer from them. Furthermore, it opens the way for further research to fully understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these disorders, to optimize currently available therapies and to guide the discovery of new specific treatments.

In-depth Resources

Last News

Events
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09 July 2025

Summer School on Affective Neuroscience 2025. Summer Course on Mood, Aggression and Attraction.

On July 9, 2025, Dr. Pallanti will speak at the Summer School on Affective Neuroscience on Mood, Aggression & Attraction with a lecture on "TMS for behavioral addiction.

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Events
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17 June 2025

CINP (The International College of Neuropsychopharmacology) Congress, the 36th World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology and the 9th Asian College of Neuropsychopharmacology Joint Congress.

Dr. Stefano Pallanti will participate in the CINP (The International College of Neuropsychopharmacology) Congress, specifically the 36th World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology and the 9th Asian College of Neuropsychopharmacology Joint Congress. He will deliver a presentation titled "Precision Psychiatry CINP GNC Symposium: From Biomarker Discovery to Therapeutic Innovation Toward Personalized Mental Health Care."  The congress will take place in Melbourne, Australia, from June 15th to 18th, 2025.

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Events
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13 June 2025

International Conference on Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome: from neuroinflammation to clinical practice.

Dr. Stefano Pallanti will participate in the conference as one of the leading experts on PANS/PANDAS and neuroinflammation and will give a presentation entitled "The Neuroinflammation Hypothesis in Psychiatry".  It will take place at the Palacongressi of the G. Martino University Hospital in Messina on 13 and 14 June 2025.

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