Nucleus Accumbens: A Therapeutic Target for Radiomodulation for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder

Despite progress in pharmaceutical and behavioral treatments, alcohol use disorder (AUD) continues to have a high relapse rate. While deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has shown therapeutic promise, its invasive nature poses significant risks. Radiomodulation, the focal delivery of sub-ablative ionizing radiation, offers a non-invasive alternative for neuromodulating deep brain structures. However, optimal targeting, dosing, and rationale for radiomodulation in AUD have not been discussed. This paper analyzes the NAc as a candidate target for radiomodulation and proposes NAc radiomodulation as a novel, potentially transformative therapeutic approach for AUD that warrants further investigation.