Testing Active Transcranial Direct Current with Varenicline against a placebo for nicotine dependence
Official title: tDCS Plus Varenicline for Smoking Cessation
Using Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (tDCS) as an Adjunct to Varenicline for the Treatment of Tobacco Dependence: a Randomized Controlled Trial
- Phase 4
- 2 groups
- One site, in Toronto
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Medical device
Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation. Active tDCS involves brief (e.g., 20-min) application of weak electric current (e.g., 2 mA) to the scalp. The tDCS device that will be used for this study is the Soterix 1x1 mini-CT.
- Medication
Varenicline 1mg BID
Varenicline is the most effective approved treatment for quitting smoking. Varenicline as per standard prescribing for dose escalation (i.e. Days 1 to 3: 0.5 mg once daily; Days 4 to 7: 0.5 mg twice daily; Days 8 to end of treatment: 1 mg twice daily) will be given concurrently over the same 2 weeks as the tDCS protocol and continue for an additional 10 weeks as per standard treatment duration recommended on the product monograph for a total of 12 weeks of varenicline treatment. Dose adjustments due to adverse events will be allowed (i.e. decrease to 0.5 mg twice daily). The target quit date for smoking cessation will be on the last day of the two weeks of daily tDCS which corresponds to the recommended quit date after starting varenicline treatment.
- Medical device
Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)
Sham tDCS consists of 30s of 2 mA at the beginning and at the end of the 6 session (ramp up and down), then receiving 0 mA stimulation for the middle 19 min. The tDCS device that will be used for this study is the Soterix 1x1 mini-CT.
Canadian Sites (1)
1 of 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Toronto, Ontario
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for17 criteria
The trial’s own eligibility text, word for word from the registry. Only the trial site can say who takes part.
Inclusion
- +Age 18-85 years
- +Be able to provide informed written consentInformed consentThe process of being told what taking part involves, then choosing freely.Read more →
- +Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures
- +Willing to attend the required clinic appointments (Two consecutive weeks, Monday through Friday)
- +Otherwise healthy (i.e. not suffering from any major illness/condition that would impact their participation in the study)
- +Smoke ≥ 8 cigarettes per day (CPD)
- +Is seeking treatment for tobacco dependence
Exclusion
- −Unstable psychiatric illness that would adversely impact study participation and compliance (determined by the QI)
- −History of seizures/epilepsy
- −Lifetime history of concussions or head traumas
- −Current pacemakers or implanted electrical devices
- −Current metal embedded in the skull
- −Presence of skin lesions, open wounds, or bruising at stimulation sites; or
- −Current pregnancy or plans to become pregnant
- −Contraindications to varenicline use (e.g. pregnant/breastfeeding, alcohol dependence, kidney disease/renal impairment, known hypersensitivity to varenicline)
- −Use of smoking cessation medication (e.g. buproprion, varenicline, NRT, cytisine) in the past 3 months
- −Current regular use of nicotine-containing products besides cigarettes (e.g. electronic cigarettes, etc.)
In plain language
Assembled directly from this trial’s registry record. Every sentence traces to a field below — nothing here is generated or interpreted.
What this study is
This study is testing a treatment for a condition.
Phase 4Phase 4A study of a treatment that is already approved and in use.Read more → — a study of a treatment already approved for use, following it in everyday practice.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.primaryPurpose
- designModule.phases
Who receives what
There are 2 groups in this study.
Group A, the comparison group, receives one or more of: Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and Varenicline 1mg BID.
Registry label: A: Experimental Group (Active tDCS plus Varenicline)
Group B, the shamSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → group, receives one or more of: Varenicline 1mg BID and Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS).
Registry label: B: Control Group
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].label
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
How the study is run
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
You, the study team, the people giving the treatment, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
Is there a placebo?
One group receives a sham procedureSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → — one made to feel like the real thing but without the active step.
One group receives an existing treatment, so the two can be compared.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].interventionNames
Who the study is looking for
The study lists an age range of 18 years to 85 years.
The study is open to people of any sex.
The study does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
These are the criteria the study lists. Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How big and how long
The study aims to enrol about 160 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around August 2028.
The main measurement is taken over: Week 9-12.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
30-Day Continuous Abstinence at End-Of-Treatment — measured over Week 9-12.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT06798324 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full registry text is further down this page — this summary never replaces it.
Not medical advice. What do these terms mean?
What is being tested — in plain terms
About Active Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)Device
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation. Active tDCS involves brief (e.g., 20-min) application of weak electric current (e.g., 2 mA) to the scalp. The tDCS device that will be used for this study is the Soterix 1x1 mini-CT.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Varenicline 1mg BIDDrug
Varenicline is the most effective approved treatment for quitting smoking. Varenicline as per standard prescribing for dose escalation (i.e. Days 1 to 3: 0.5 mg once daily; Days 4 to 7: 0.5 mg twice daily; Days 8 to end of treatment: 1 mg twice daily) will be given concurrently over the same 2 weeks as the tDCS protocol and continue for an additional 10 weeks as per standard treatment duration recommended on the product monograph for a total of 12 weeks of varenicline treatment. Dose adjustments due to adverse events will be allowed (i.e. decrease to 0.5 mg twice daily). The target quit date for smoking cessation will be on the last day of the two weeks of daily tDCS which corresponds to the recommended quit date after starting varenicline treatment.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a drug is here: A medicine — a chemical or small-molecule treatment — given as the thing being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
About Sham Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)Device
Sham tDCS consists of 30s of 2 mA at the beginning and at the end of the 6 session (ramp up and down), then receiving 0 mA stimulation for the middle 19 min. The tDCS device that will be used for this study is the Soterix 1x1 mini-CT.
From the trial registry — its own words, unedited.
What a device is here: A physical instrument, implant, app or piece of equipment being studied.
Read the full explanation → · in clinical review
Common questions
Answered from this trial’s registry record. Where the record doesn’t say, these answers say so rather than filling the gap.
Am I eligible for this trial?
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can decide whether someone can take part. Concord cannot make that determination, and neither can any tool that has not examined you.
What the study lists: an age range of 18 years to 85 years.
The full inclusionInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → and exclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaThe things that would prevent someone from taking part.Read more → are published on this page, exactly as the study team wrote them.
The useful next step is to bring this trial to your doctor. Answering a few questions first gives them something concrete to review.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.eligibilityCriteria
Is there a placebo?
This study includes a shamSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → comparison — a procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.
One group receives an existing treatment so the two can be compared.
From the trial registry
- armsInterventionsModule.armGroups[].type
Would I know which treatment I am getting?
You, the study team, the people giving the treatment, and the people analysing the results would all be kept unaware of which group you are in until the study ends.
Which group you would be placed in is decided by chance, like a coin flip — not by you and not by your doctor.
From the trial registry
- designModule.designInfo.maskingInfo.masking
- designModule.designInfo.allocation
Who can join?
The study lists an age range of 18 years to 85 years.
It is open to people of any sex.
It does not accept healthy volunteersHealthy volunteerSomeone without the condition being studied who takes part anyway.Read more →.
Only the trial siteTrial siteA hospital or clinic where a study is actually run.Read more → can confirm whether a particular person can take part.
From the trial registry
- eligibilityModule.minimumAge
- eligibilityModule.maximumAge
- eligibilityModule.sex
- eligibilityModule.healthyVolunteers
How long would this take?
The study's main measurement is taken over: Week 9-12.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2028-08-01.
How long any one person takes part can differ from the study length. The study team can tell you what the schedule looks like in practice.
From the trial registry
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
How many people are taking part?
The study aims to enrol about 160 people.
From the trial registry
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
Where is this happening?
This study lists one location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sites can open and close during a study, so confirm with the team before travelling.
From the trial registry
- trial_locations
About This Trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if active transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) plus varenicline is an effective, safe and accessible treatment option for smoking cessation. The main questions this trial aims to answer are: 1. Does active tDCS plus varenicline improve short-term and long-term smoking abstinence rates compared to sham tDCS plus varenicline? 2. Are the safety profiles between active tDCS plus varenicline and sham tDCS plus varenicline different? The tDCS treatment schedule includes 10 daily sessions for the first 2 weeks (M to F), followed by 5 single bi-weekly booster sessions for the remainder of the treatment period. Participants will come in-person for two follow-up sessions to assess smoking behaviour at 6- and 12-months post-treatment.
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See if this trial could fit youThis page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical trial eligibility can only be determined by the trial site after proper screening. Trial information is sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov and may not reflect the most current status. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about clinical trial participation.