TMS for Cigarette Cessation in Los Angeles

Smoking statistics

• It is estimated that approximately 34.2 million Americans are currently smoking cigarettes.
• More than 16 million Americans are living with a disease caused by smoking.
• Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death.
• Smoking causes more than 7 million deaths per year worldwide.
• That’s more deaths than those caused by alcohol, cocaine, heroin, car accidents, homicides, suicides, fires, and AIDs combined.
• On average, the lifespan of smokers is 10 years shorter than non-smokers.
• 7 out of 10 adult smokers want to quit smoking.

How nicotine addiction works

• In an addicted brain, the reward processing circuits become imbalanced. The brain receives excessive dopamine, which is a neurotransmitter involved in experiencing pleasure. The brain “learns” to seek out the “high” previously experienced with the excess dopamine when a smoker has a cigarette. Elevated brain activity in response to drug cues — referred to as cue reactivity —predicts relapse in addiction.
• Treatment approaches that target the neural circuitry related to cue reactivity, like TMS, may reduce relapse in patients. Emerging evidence suggests TMS therapy can directly target the neural circuitry involved in addiction.

Why should I quit?

• Quitting smoking can be the most important decision for your health.
• Smoking harms nearly every organ in the body.
• In the U.S., smoking is responsible for nearly 1 in 5 deaths.
• Quitting can add years to your life. Smokers who quit before age 40 reduce their chance of dying early from smoking-related diseases by about 90%. Those who quit by age 45 to 54 reduce their chance of dying early by about two-thirds.
• Quitting also protects your loved ones from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Ongoing research

• New research investigating TMS for smoking cessation has yielded positive results. To date, several studies have evaluated TMS in the treatment of cigarette cessation.
• In 2017, researchers demonstrated how rTMS can help people quit smoking. In this study, TMS treatment significantly reduced the risk of relapse, increased abstinence rate, and increased uptake of the self-help intervention.
• TMS received FDA-clearance for the treatment of smoking cessation in 2020.
• At Neuro Wellness Spa, TMS therapy for cigarette cessation incorporates a series of 8 self-help booklets on cigarette cessation to help our patients quit smoking. These booklets are both informational and interactive. The following topics are covered:

1. Smoking Urges and How To Cope With Them
2. Smoking and Weight
3. What If I Have a Cigarette?
4. Smoking and Your Health
5. Smoking, Stress, and Mood
6. Lifestyle Balance: Wants vs. Needs
7. Life With Cigarettes