SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2026
Efficacy of intermittent theta-burst stimulation for substance use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized sham-controlled trials.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS) for substance use disorders (SUDs), with craving reduction as the primary outcome and abstinence as the secondary outcome, and to examine whether treatment effects differed by substance type. Methods: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and PEDro were searched from inception to March 17, 2026 for randomized sham-controlled trials of prefrontal iTBS in individuals with SUDs. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated for craving outcomes and odds ratios (ORs) for abstinence. Random-effects models, substance-specific subgroup analyses, and leave-one-out sensitivity analyses were used as appropriate. Results: Nine randomized sham-controlled trials involving 556 participants were included. Eight trials ( Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that prefrontal iTBS may reduce craving in methamphetamine use disorder, but the overall evidence remains substance-specific and should not be interpreted as demonstrating efficacy across all SUDs. No benefit was detected for nicotine craving. The preliminary abstinence finding requires confirmation in larger trials with longer follow-up before conclusions can be drawn regarding sustained abstinence or relapse prevention. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, CRD420261363708.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.