Testing Active tDCS against a placebo for vaping
Official title: The Use of tDCS for Vaping Reduction
Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) for Vaping Reduction in Daily E-cigarette Users: a Pilot Study
- 2 groups
- One site, in Toronto
- Recruiting
Interventions
- Medical device
Active tDCS
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that involves brief (e.g., 20-min) application of weak electric current (e.g., 2 mA) to the scalp. Active tDCS intervention increases excitability of neurons at the anode with 20-30% of the current going through the brain from anode to cathode so that both cortical and subcortical structures are stimulated. The procedure is very safe, convenient, and fast-acting with well-established parameters. It has the ability to modulate plasticity in specific brain areas and has established efficacy in human laboratory models of addictive motivation and has been shown to decrease craving for cigarettes when the anode is placed over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
- Medical device
Sham tDCS
Sham tDCS applies a 2mA current for the initial 30 seconds, followed by 0 mA for the remaining 19.5 minutes to simulate active tDCS stimulation. The cathode electrode is placed on the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and the anode is positioned on the left DLPFC, aligned with the electrode placement used in active tDCS.
Canadian Sites (1)
1 of 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Toronto, Ontario
Eligibility Criteria
See who this study is looking for16 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 - 65 years
- +The participant must meet all of the inclusion criteriaInclusion criteriaThe things you must have or be for a study to consider you.Read more → to be eligible for this research study:
- +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
- +Is willing to attend daily appointments for tDCS for two consecutive weeks (Monday through Friday)
- +Is not interested in or planning to quit vaping in the next 30 days.
- +Is a daily regular use of nicotine-containing e-cigarette for at least the past 6 months
Exclusion
- −An individual who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this research study:
- −Unstable psychiatric condition
- −Recent clinically significant head trauma\*
- −History of seizures and/or epilepsy\*
- −Pacemakers or implanted electrical devices such as cochlear implants\*
- −Metal embedded in the skull\*
- −Skin lesions, open wounds, bruising, or similar injuries on the scalp\*
- −Substance use disorder (other than nicotine dependence) (M.I.N.I. SCID) (confirmed with urine drug screen)
- −Current regular use of tobacco cigarettes, nicotine replacement therapy or other medications for smoking cessation
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.
This study is not organised into the usual phase numbers — that is common for device, behavioural, and diagnostic research.
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 Active tDCS.
Registry label: A: Active tDCS stimulation group
Group B, the shamSham procedureA procedure made to feel like the real one, without the active step.Read more → group, receives Sham tDCS.
Registry label: B: Sham tDCS stimulation 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.
Neither you nor the study team would know 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 65 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 40 people.
The study is currently expected to finish around May 2026.
The main measurement is taken over: 2 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- designModule.enrollmentInfo.count
- statusModule.completionDateStruct.date
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
What the study measures
Explore the efficacy of tDCS for reducing vaping use — measured over 2 weeks.
From the trial registry
Built from these fields:
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].measure
- outcomesModule.primaryOutcomes[].timeFrame
Source: NCT06885606 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 tDCSDevice
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a form of non-invasive brain stimulation that involves brief (e.g., 20-min) application of weak electric current (e.g., 2 mA) to the scalp. Active tDCS intervention increases excitability of neurons at the anode with 20-30% of the current going through the brain from anode to cathode so that both cortical and subcortical structures are stimulated. The procedure is very safe, convenient, and fast-acting with well-established parameters. It has the ability to modulate plasticity in specific brain areas and has established efficacy in human laboratory models of addictive motivation and has been shown to decrease craving for cigarettes when the anode is placed over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
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 Sham tDCSDevice
Sham tDCS applies a 2mA current for the initial 30 seconds, followed by 0 mA for the remaining 19.5 minutes to simulate active tDCS stimulation. The cathode electrode is placed on the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and the anode is positioned on the left DLPFC, aligned with the electrode placement used in active tDCS.
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 65 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?
Neither you nor the study team would know 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 65 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: 2 weeks.
The study as a whole is currently expected to finish around 2026-05.
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 40 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
Project Summary - tDCS for Vaping Reduction Background: While the prevalence of tobacco smoking has plateaued over the last several years, the prevalence of nicotine vaping (e-cigarettes) continues to increase exponentially in Canada. Originally touted as a safe alternative to smoking, e-cigarette use or vaping is now most popular among youth and young adults. The high prevalence of e-cigarette use, coupled with growing evidence of associated harms and reports of addiction and difficulties in quitting reinforces the urgent need to develop and test methods to attenuate e-cigarette craving as a step towards developing approaches to vaping cessation that are brief, inexpensive and effective. Non-invasive brain stimulation techniques have become a popular area of research as a treatment option for substance use disorders with growing evidence of their effectiveness for a variety of addictions. One of these techniques, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), has been shown to decrease cigarette craving and consumption. Thus, the purpose of this pilot study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using tDCS for vaping reduction in e-cigarette users. Methods: This will be a double-blind sham-controlled randomized trial whereby 40 daily nicotine-containing e-cigarette users will be recruited to undergo 10 consecutive daily sessions of tDCS (Monday to Friday for 2 weeks). Participants will be randomized (1:1) to either sham (0mA) or active tDCS (2mA), with the anode at the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and cathode at the right DLPFC. The primary outcome is vaping frequency (puffs/day and nicotine pods/week) at end of treatment (2 weeks). The secondary outcome will be e-cigarette craving. Participants will be followed-up via the phone at 1 month and 3 months post randomization respectively. Implication: This will be the first treatment study to target vaping reduction. There are currently no established treatment options for e-cigarette addiction and medications traditionally used for smoking cessation only address withdrawal symptoms and not addiction pathology. Thus, findings from this study may be used to inform future designs of vaping reduction strategies or vaping cessation.
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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.