Hypnosis efficacy on nicotine addiction: An analysis of EEG microstates and brain oscillation entropy

Abstract

Despite hypnosis showing efficacy in treating nicotine dependence, its neurobiological impacts on a smokers’ brain function remain underexplored. Thirty-three smokers underwent electroencephalography (EEG) recording during pre- and post-hypnosis sessions, each 8 minutes long, alongside Tobacco Craving Questionnaire (TCQ) assessments. Four distinct EEG microstate classes (A, B, C, D) were identified. Daily cigarette consumption negatively correlated with the microstate A duration (r = −0.39, P = 0.03). Hypnosis increased the microstate A parameters while decreasing those of microstate B. Reduced microstate B parameters positively correlated with lower TCQ scores (r = 0.46, P = 0.02). Post-hypnosis, there was a decreased variability and sample entropy in low-frequency theta-band signals, indicating a shift towards more ordered theta oscillations. This shift was inversely related to the microstate D parameters and positively correlated with the microstate C occurrences. Dynamic changes in the brain microstates and theta oscillations elucidate the neurological mechanisms underlying hypnotherapy’s effectiveness in treating smoking addiction. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms by which hypnosis influences brain function and offer potential biomarkers for the treatment of smoking addiction, thus deepening our understanding of therapeutic approaches for substance use disorders.