Transactions on Data Analysis in Social Science

Transactions on Data Analysis in Social Science

Improving Working Memory in Adolescents with Substance Use Disorder through Anodal Stimulation of the Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
J. Alizadeh Gouradel 1
S. Imani 2
V. Nejati 3
J. Fathabadi 4
1 Ph.D. Candidate in Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
3 Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience (Brain and Cognition), Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
4 Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Department of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
10.47176/TDASS.2023.206
Abstract
Substance abuse is among the most prevalent and costly health challenges worldwide. Standard medical treatments are often not curative, and relapse is common. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in improving working memory among adolescents with substance use disorder. This quasi-experimental study employed a pretest–posttest design with a follow-up. The statistical population included all male adolescents (aged 18–21) with substance use disorder in Ardabil County, Iran. A total of 40 male adolescents with substance use disorder were recruited from rehabilitation centers supervised by the Welfare Organization, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 20) and a control group (n = 20). Data were collected using the N-Back neurocognitive task. The treatment protocol involved 15-minute sessions of anodal stimulation over the F3 region and cathodal stimulation over the F4 region at an intensity of 1.5 mA. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA in SPSS v.22. The results revealed a significant difference between groups, indicating that anodal stimulation led to improved working memory in the experimental group compared to the control group. These findings suggest growing evidence for the therapeutic potential of tDCS in addiction treatment, particularly for adolescents, and provide empirical support for the optimism surrounding this intervention.
Keywords
Substance Use Disorder
Working Memory
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (Tdcs)
Adolescents
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Transactions on Data Analysis in Social Science
Volume 5, Issue 4
Autumn 2023
Pages 206-212

  • Receive Date 22 July 2023
  • Revise Date 28 October 2023
  • Accept Date 07 December 2023