Helen Tobback

Research

Every year, substance use causes more than 11 million premature deaths worldwide. Even though a lot of treatments already exist, many of them are characterized by a high percentage of drop-out or relapse. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is currently receiving a lot of attention as a possible new treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). However, there is no consensus yet concerning concrete parameters (e.g. montage, current, intensity) and both methods and outcomes lack consistency. In this project, we aim to optimize the effectivity of tDCS, more specifically the stimulation parameters and the interindividual parameters, underlying variability of treatment effects. We aim to do so using objective measures (EEG measures) as an outcome, as well as clinical and behavioral outcomes. The end goal of this project is to have a more individualized and specified stimulation protocol for SUDs, promoting the clinical utility of this treatment.

Supervisor

Prof.Dr. Kris Baetens

Prof.Dr. Natacha Deroost