Neurocircuit Strategy to Decrease Cocaine Cue Reactivity

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a medication that is used to treat paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose, and to loosen thick mucus in individuals with cystic fibrosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It has a long-established safety record in adults and children, with FDA approval since 1963. The side effects most commonly noted in people who take NAC by mouth include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and headache. These side effects are usually mild and go away even with continued use of NAC by mouth. There is also a risk of a skin reaction, such as flushing, itching, or rash. A meta-analysis of studies evaluating long-term oral treatment with NAC for prevention of chronic bronchitis found that NAC was well tolerated, with generally mild, most commonly gastrointestinal adverse effects that did not require treatment interruption.

Theta-burst stimulation (TBS), a form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), affects brain areas stimulated directly underneath the scalp and brain areas that are functionally connected.