Joint Research by Cambridge and Oxford
Deep Brain Stimulation Used for Treating Alcohol and Drug Addiction
An experiment to implant devices in the brains of alcoholics and drug addicts to suppress cravings for alcohol and drugs is set to take place in the United Kingdom.
On the 15th (local time), the British daily The Guardian reported that a group of doctors and researchers from the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and King's College London are preparing an experiment using deep brain stimulation to reduce cravings and increase self-control in addicts. The goal of this experiment is to attempt a method that suppresses cravings for alcohol and drugs using electrical stimulation.
Professor Valerie Voon, a psychiatry professor at the University of Cambridge and the lead researcher of this project, said, "This technology is already being used to control some aspects of Parkinson's disease, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder," adding, "Just as a pacemaker is used to stabilize abnormal electrical rhythms in the heart, we believe that brain implants can normalize abnormal brain electrical rhythms related to addiction."
In recent years, the use of brain implants has been praised by doctors treating brain diseases. More than 250,000 people have already been fitted with these devices to control symptoms of various conditions. In the case of Parkinson's disease, brain implants deliver stimulation to the motor centers of the patient's brain, effectively stopping symptoms including tremors and involuntary movements.
Several small-scale recent studies have suggested that this technology could be extended to treat alcohol and drug addiction. The Guardian reported that hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are dependent on alcohol. About one-quarter of them require treatment for anxiety, depression, and other related health issues. Drug addiction is also a serious problem, with nearly half of fatal drug overdoses involving opioids such as heroin or morphine.
Professor Voon emphasized, "Most people who are severely addicted to alcohol or opioids suffer serious disabilities. Their cravings cause suffering not only to themselves but also to their families, parents, siblings, spouses, and children. Addiction is never just a personal disorder."
The research team plans to select 6 alcohol addicts and 6 opioid addicts as experimental subjects for a project named 'Brain-Pacer'?a brain pacemaker for addiction control aimed at ending relapse. To be selected as a subject, individuals must have been addicted for at least 5 years and experienced relapse at least 3 times. Prior experience with conventional drug or psychological treatments is also required.
The experiment, conducted at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge and King's College Hospital in London, will involve inserting thin electrodes into precise locations in the brain. These areas are involved in reward, motivation, and decision-making. After implanting the brain device, the electrodes will be connected to a pulse generator implanted in the chest, which delivers electrical stimulation to alleviate neural activity that triggers addiction. The experiment will be randomized, so electrical signals will not always be on while the addict's brain activity is recorded. Professor Voon explained that the goal of this experiment is to reduce cravings and increase self-control by providing this electrical stimulation.
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