Summary Researchers studied heroin-addicted rats and found that those treated with DBS had fewer cravings.
(Web Desk) - Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found appreciable initial results from the research that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) can greatly reduce the compulsion to use heroin in standard rat models of addiction.
DBS, the electrical stimulation of, is currently used to treat Parkinson’s disease in humans with some success.
Furthermore, surgeons begin by drilling two holes into the patient’s head and inserting electrodes into a brain region known as the subthalamic nucleus.
The researchers studied heroin-addicted rats and found that those treated with DBS had fewer cravings than a control group. It’s claiming that the findings of research could be a breakthrough in scientists’ understanding of the addicted brain.
Some recent studies in rodents have suggested that DBS of this region can also reduce the motivation for drug addiction.
