A narrative review published in the April 2026 issue of Brain Sciences synthesized the neurobiological mechanisms behind TMS for smoking cessation. It concluded that active rTMS and deep TMS targeting prefrontal circuits reduce craving and cigarette consumption and may increase short-term abstinence compared with sham stimulation.
The review focused on stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and, with deep coils, the insula — regions central to reward processing and craving. It linked symptom improvement to measurable changes in functional connectivity across reward, executive-control, and salience networks, consistent with a partial restoration of addiction-relevant circuit dynamics.
The synthesis draws on randomized trials and prior meta-analyses supporting deep TMS as an FDA-cleared smoking-cessation therapy.
For clinics offering the BrainsWay smoking-addiction indication, the review reinforces the mechanistic rationale and helps explain why prefrontal targeting reduces relapse. It 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.
