# Examining the effects of Theta Burst Stimulation on corticothalamic mediated inhibitory control and smoking relapse vulnerability

> **NIH NIH UG3** · UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA · 2020 · $320,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Tobacco use disorder (TUD), like other drugs of abuse, is associated with deficits in prefrontal mediated inhibitory
control (IC)—the ability to stop pre-potent behavioral responding. We recently reported findings showing that IC
task-based functional connectivity (tbFC) between the right inferior frontal gyrus (r.IFG) and thalamus
(corticothalamic circuit) mediated the association between successful inhibition and smoking lapse / relapse
vulnerability in the laboratory and in a smoking cessation study. Preliminary data from our laboratory shows that
using intermittent theta burst stimulation (iTBS)—which induces long-term potentiation and putatively
strengthens network activity—to the r.IFG significantly improves inhibitory control task performance among
individuals with TUD. The goal of this proposal is to examine the mechanistic underpinnings of the effects of TBS
on corticothalamic mediated inhibitory control and smoking and evaluate whether modulating corticothalamic
tbFC translates to improved inhibitory control and reducing smoking lapse/relapse among individuals with TUD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10245990
- **Project number:** 7UG3DA048510-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Brett Froeliger
- **Activity code:** UG3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $320,000
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2020-08-21 → 2022-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10245990

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10245990, Examining the effects of Theta Burst Stimulation on corticothalamic mediated inhibitory control and smoking relapse vulnerability (7UG3DA048510-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10245990. Licensed CC0.

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