A narrative review published in the April 2026 issue of Brain Sciences examined the neurobiological mechanisms behind TMS for smoking cessation, synthesizing 34 studies from 2015 to 2026 (randomized trials, clinical studies, and neuroimaging). The authors report that TMS can reduce craving, daily cigarette consumption, and dependence, and that several trials found higher abstinence with active stimulation than with sham.
TMS in these studies usually targets the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Meta-analytic findings suggested stronger effects with 10 Hz stimulation and courses of 20 or more sessions, and neuroimaging studies showed connectivity changes within reward, executive-control, and salience networks.
The authors conclude that TMS is a promising approach but that well-designed trials with longer follow-up are still needed. The review (Constantin et al.) appeared in Brain Sciences volume 16, issue 4.
Source
Reporting based on coverage from Brain Sciences. This article is editorial summary intended for general information; it is not medical advice.
