RS-tDCS for Cannabis Use Disorder: The C.A.R.E.S. Initiative

The DFAQ-CU is a self-report scale used to assess cannabis use behaviors. It measures frequency, quantity, age of onset, and daily sessions of cannabis use, including different forms like dry product, concentrates, and edibles. The DFAQ-CU also includes visual aids and questions about methods of cannabis administration and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels. Questions 2-3, 6-12 assess frequency.

Daily cannabis use is assessed using the TLFB method, a validated self-report instrument used to collect retrospective estimates of daily cannabis use.

The CWS assesses withdrawal symptoms experienced over the last 24 hours and consists of 19 statements. For each statement, its negative impact on normal daily activities is rated on a Likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (extremely). The total score ranges from 0 to 190; higher scores indicate that withdrawal symptoms have a larger negative impact on normal daily activities.

K10 is a 10-item questionnaire intended to yield a global measure of distress based on questions about anxiety and depressive symptoms that a person has experienced in the most recent 4 week period. Each question is given a score between 1 (none of the time) to 5 (all of the time). The total score ranges from 10 to 50. People with scores < 20 are likely to be well, 20-24 are likely to have a mild mental disorder, 25-29 are likely to have moderate mental disorder, and > 30 are likely to have a severe mental disorder.

The STAI is a psychological tool used to measure both state anxiety (temporary feelings of nervousness) and trait anxiety (a general tendency to be anxious). It's a 40-item self-report questionnaire, 20 items allocated to each of the S-Anxiety and T-Anxiety subscales, that uses a 4-point Likert scale. Item scores are added to obtain subtest total scores. Scoring should be reversed for anxiety-absent items (19 items of the total 40). Range of scores for each subtest is 20-80, the higher score indicating greater anxiety.

The MPS (form AS5) is a self-report assessment that helps the patient identify areas their life affected by marijuana use. It contains 19 items that represent potential negative effects of marijuana on social relationships, self-esteem, motivation and productivity, work and finances, physical health, memory impairment, and legal problems. Items are rated either 0 (Not a problem), 1 (A minor problem), or 2 (A serious problem). Higher scores generally indicate more serious problems with marijuana.

BDI is a 21-item self-report scale designed to measure the severity of depressive symptoms. Each item is scored 0-3. The total score range is 0-63; the higher the score, the more severe the depression. A score > 40 indicates extreme depression.

The DFAQ-CU is a self-report scale used to assess cannabis use behaviors. It measures frequency, quantity, age of onset, and daily sessions of cannabis use, including different forms like dry product, concentrates, and edibles. The DFAQ-CU also includes visual aids and questions about methods of cannabis administration and THC levels. Questions 2-3, 6-12 assess frequency.

Daily cannabis use is assessed using the TLFB method, a validated self-report instrument used to collect retrospective estimates of daily cannabis use.

The CWS assesses withdrawal symptoms experienced over the last 24 hours and consists of 19 statements. For each statement, its negative impact on normal daily activities is rated on a likert scale from 0 (not at all) to 10 (extremely). The total score ranges from 0 to 190; higher scores indicate that withdrawal symptoms have a larger negative impact on normal daily activities.