A recent study from the University of Missouri School of Medicine suggests there might be a new way to help people quit smoking. The researchers found that using a special kind of magnetic treatment on the brain can make it easier for smokers to control their cravings and smoke less.
When people smoke a lot, their brains can change in certain ways. This can make it harder for them to stop themselves from smoking when they want to. The researchers believe that this magnetic treatment can help improve this self-control.
The treatment they used sends bursts of magnetic energy to the brain in two different ways. One way does it continuously for 40 seconds, and the other way does it irregularly for more than 190 seconds. This kind of magnetic treatment has been used before to help with other mental health problems like anxiety and depression.
In the study, they tested this treatment on 37 people, mostly in their late 40s, who were trying to quit smoking. They found that both types of magnetic treatment helped reduce cravings and made it easier for people to control their urges to smoke. This research suggests that this treatment could be a helpful tool for people who want to quit smoking. It might also be useful for people who have problems with other types of drugs, but more research is needed to be sure.
The study’s full name is “Effects of Hyperdirect Pathway Theta-Burst Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Inhibitory Control, Craving, and Smoking in Adults with Nicotine Dependence: A Double-Blind Randomized Crossover Trial,” and it was published in Biological Psychiatry CNNI.
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