Effect of rTMS combined with CBT on alcohol craving and cognitive function in patients with alcohol dependence / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) combined with cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) on the cognitive function and alcohol craving in patients with alcohol dependence.Methods:From March 2019 to September 2021, a total of 150 patients with alcohol dependence were enrolled and randomly divided into rTMS treatment group (rTMS+ sham CBT, n=41), CBT treatment group (CBT+ sham rTMS, n=34), rTMS+ CBT treatment group( n=36) and control group (sham rTMS+ sham CBT, n=39). At baseline (before treatment), 2nd week, 8th week, 12th week and 24th week, alcohol dependence scale (ADS) was used to evaluate the degree of alcohol dependence, the obsessive compulsive drinking scale (OCDS) was used to assess patients' drinking craving, and Montreal cognitive assessment scale (MoCA) was used to assess the overall cognitive level of patients.SPSS 23.0 statistical software was used to compare the differences of ADS, OCDS and MoCA scale scores of the four groups by repeated measure ANOVA and simple effect analysis. Results:(1)The patients in the four groups were evaluated with ADS scale at baseline, 12th week and 24th week respectively.The interaction of group×time( F=1.279, P=0.279) and the main effect of group were not significant ( F=0.882, P=0.454), and the main effect of time was significant ( F=12.925, P<0.001) .Further simple effect analysis showed that the ADS score of rTMS+ CBT group was lower than that of baseline(14.48±5.70, 10.00±6.51) ( P=0.01) at 24th week.(2)Patients in the four groups were assessed with OCDs scale at baseline, 2nd week, 8th week, 12th week and 24th week, and the interaction of group×time was significant ( F=2.015, P=0.042). Further simple effect analysis showed that the OCDs scores of rTMS group and rTMS+ CBT group at each follow-up time node were lower than those at baseline period (all P<0.05). (3)Patients in the four groups were assessed with MoCA scale at baseline, 8th week, 12th week and 24th week, and the interaction of group×time was not significant ( F=1.660, P=0.106), and the main effect of group and the main effect of time were significant ( F=2.964, P=0.038; F=14.239, P<0.001). Further simple effect analysis showed that the score of MoCA scale in CBT group at the 24th week was higher than that at baseline (21.73±5.81, 24.60±3.98)( P=0.029), the score of MoCA scale in rTMS+ CBT group at the 24th week was higher than that at the 8th week (23.50±6.01, 25.95±2.87) ( P=0.006), and the score of MoCA scale in rTMS group at the 12th week was higher than that in control group (22.08±6.64, 26.64±2.46)( P=0.009). Conclusion:rTMS combined with CBT can be effective in improving alcohol craving and cognitive function in patients with alcohol dependence, and has a good long-term effect.