Rewiring the Addicted Brain: Circuits-Based Treatment for Addiction

The advent of the noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) technique has paved the way for neural circuit-based treatments for addiction. Recently, evidence from both preclinical and clinical studies has evaluated the use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a safe and cost-effective therapeutic tool for substance use disorders (SUDs). Indeed, repetitive TMS impacts on neural activity inducing short- and long-term effects involving neuroplasticity mechanisms locally within the target area of stimulation and the network level throughout the brain. Here, we provide an integrated view of evidence highlighting the mechanisms of TMS-induced effects on modulating the maladaptive brain circuitry of addiction. We then review the preclinical and clinical findings suggesting rTMS as an effective interventional tool for the treatment of SUDs.