Skip to content
Bored Studies
RecruitingAccepts healthy volunteers

Temporal Interference Methods for Addiction Treatment

Indiana University · with National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) · NCT07210268

View Study & Apply (opens in a new tab)

Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.

Key facts

Compensation
Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
Who can join
Ages 21–50 · All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Study type
Interventional · Not applicable
Target enrollment
120
US sites recruiting
2
Study start
January 22, 2026
Record last updated
September 11, 2026

Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.

What the study is about

This clinical study is testing whether a new non-invasive brain stimulation method, called temporal interference (TI), can reduce nicotine cravings and usage in people who vape. TI delivers mild electrical currents to the scalp in a way that targets deep brain areas involved in addiction, without the need for surgery.

In this randomized controlled trial, participants will be assigned to one of three groups: TI stimulation to the nucleus accumbens, TI stimulation to the anterior insula, or a placebo (sham) condition. Each participant will attend a single stimulation session after 8 hours of nicotine abstinence and will use a custom vape device that measures real-time nicotine inhalation. Craving levels will be reported during and after the session.

The study aims to determine whether TI to the insula or nucleus accumbens is more effective at decreasing cravings and nicotine inhalation, and whether either is more effective than sham stimulation. For one week after the session, participants will use a smartphone app to track nicotine use and cravings. The primary hypothesis is that TI stimulation to deep brain regions will reduce both nicotine craving and actual use, immediately after stimulation and over the following week, compared to the sham condition.

Being studied: TI-NDBS; Sham TI-NDBS

Conditions: Nicotine Use Disorder; Substance Use Disorders

Eligibility criteria

Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.

Show full criteria

Inclusion Criteria

  • Between the ages of 21 and 50
  • Nicotine dependent and vape at least 15 mg nicotine per day
  • Must have a phone with internet access
  • Participants must have at least a 6th grade education and be able to speak and read English

Exclusion Criteria

  • History of seizures, seizure disorders, or familial history of seizure disorders
  • History of intractable migraine or complicated migraine syndromes
  • History of suicide attempts or active suicidal ideation (past month)
  • History of cardiac arrhythmias, prolonged QT, pacemakers, or cardiovascular disorders
  • Hypertension with systolic BP >150mmHgCentral nervous system structural lesions (tumors, MS, strokes, etc.)
  • Active neuropsychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar, active psychosis, dementia, etc.)
  • History of head trauma with loss of consciousness, skull fractures, subdural hematomas
  • Active opioid, cocaine, and/or methamphetamine use
  • Active severe cannabis use disorder
  • Active alcohol use disorder or history of alcohol withdrawal
  • Metal implants in the head or under the scalp (excluding dental implants)
  • Current smoking cessation treatment or medications affecting reward processing
  • Pregnancy

Recruiting US locations

  • Indiana University

    Bloomington, IN 47403

    Site contact: Joshua Brown, PhD · 812-855-9282 · jwmbrown@iu.edu

  • Indiana University School of Medicine - Goodman Hall

    Indianapolis, IN 46202

    Site contact: Joshua w Brown, PhD · 8128559282 · cclab@iu.edu

Study contacts (from the official record)

  • Joshua Brown, PhD · 812-855-9282 · cclab@iu.edu
  • Irene Jang, BS · (812) 856-1846 · cclabmgr@iu.edu
All smoking & vaping studies in Indiana →
Temporal Interference Methods for Addiction Treatment (NCT07210268) | Bored Studies