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Nucleus Accumbens Deep Brain Stimulation for Alcohol Addiction - Safety and Clinical Long-term Results of a Pilot
U J Müller1, V Sturm2, J Voges3
1Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg.
Abstract:
We report on the long-term clinical outcome (up to 8 years) of 5 patients who received deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens to treat their long-lasting and treatment-resistant alcohol addiction. All patients reported a complete absence of craving for alcohol; 2 patients remained abstinent for many years and 3 patients showed a marked reduction of alcohol consumption. No severe or long-standing side effects occurred. Therefore, DBS could be a promising, novel treatment option for severe alcohol addiction, but larger clinical trials are needed to further investigate the efficacy of DBS in addiction.
