Comparison of the synergistic effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and transcranial direct current stimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on clinical symptoms and neuropsychological functions in methamphetamine users

Introduction: Methamphetamine (crystal meth) is a highly addictive stimulant substance with destructive effects on the human mind and body. The aim of this research was to investigate the synergistic effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) of the DorsoLateral PreFrontal Cortex (DLPFC) on clinical symptoms and neuropsychological functions in methamphetamine users.   Materials and Methods: The statistical population included all patients with clinical symptoms of crystal meth use disorder who were referred to addiction treatment centers in Mashhad, Iran, from ۲۰۲۲ to ۲۰۲۴. Forty patients were selected using the convenience sampling and randomly assigned to ۳ experimental groups (CBT, tDCS, CBT + tDCS) and ۱ control group (۱۰ participants each). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Independent t-test, ANOVA, and ANCOVA.   Results: The findings showed that the interventions were effective therapies, especially CBT and CBT + tDCS had significant effects (P< ۰.۰۵) on reducing clinical symptoms and improving neuropsychological functions in methamphetamine users.   Conclusion: The results indicated that all interventions reduced clinical symptoms and led to an improvement in neuropsychological functions, especially in the groups of cognitive-behavioral therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy plus tDCS.