Circuitry of addiction

Brain Stimulation Boosts Willpower to Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking is often a biological battle between a hyperactive reward system and a weakened self-control center. A new clinical tria reveals that a noninvasive brain stimulation technique called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can shift this balance. By targeting the brain’s “control center,” researchers successfully reduced cigarette consumption by an average of 11 cigarettes per day—outperforming strategies aimed at suppressing cravings. ….[READ]