Abstract

Repetitive Trans-cranial Magnetic Stimulation in Treatment of Alcohol Dependence: A meta-analysis and systematic review

Pages: 42-56

Category: Original Research

Published Date: 30-12-2025

Charles Niven Fernan

Keywords:

Alcohol Dependence, Trans-cranial Magnetic stimulation, Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract:

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite known consequences.  There is difficulty in achieving both in initiation and maintenance of abstinence, which have been a constant challenge for the treating physician as well as the patient. An adjunct treatment to reduce dependence on pharmacotherapy or increase adherence to currently used medications for AUD is definitely needed. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive procedure that uses the principles of magnetic fields to stimulate a specific area of the brain to improve symptoms. Methods. PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for articles from inception to 15 August 2024. Data were analyzed using Cochrane RevMan Web. Odds ratio (OR), mean difference (MD), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were combined via fixed-effect analysis. Results. Three randomized controlled trials were included with a total of 140 patients. Repetitive Trans-cranial Magnetic Resonance stimulation could reduce alcohol dependence of Alcohol Use Disorder patients at endpoints (OR 0.12, 95% CI [-0.40, 0.64] but the results are not significantly different from the control group. However, all three RCTS have shown significant decrease in alcohol cravings in patients receiving treatment of rTMS on the left prefrontal cortices. Conclusions. Repetitive Trans-cranial Magnetic Resonance stimulation shows no significant difference from control in the reduction of alcohol dependence among patients with Alcohol Use Disorder. However, there was noted decrease in alcohol cravings after rTMS intervention among patients with AUD when applied on the left prefrontal cortex.