Neuromodulation Treatments for Substance Use Disorders (SUDs): Target Engagement, Safety and Feasibility-View Presentation

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Video Summary

The video presents a session on the latest advancements in neuromodulation for treating substance use disorders (SUD), focusing on non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. Dr. Jiabei Wan from NIDA introduces the session, while Dr. Ali Rezai discusses his research on deep brain stimulation (DBS) and focused ultrasound for SUD. He highlights the growing addiction problems and explains how these technologies can target brain areas like the nucleus accumbens to reduce cravings and improve treatment outcomes for severely addicted patients.<br /><br />Dr. Mary Lee from the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center shares her study on using low-intensity focused ultrasound for complex patients with comorbid conditions like anxiety, chronic pain, and opioid use disorder. Her research aims to assess safety and potential effects on pain and craving by targeting the anterior insula.<br /><br />Dr. Elliot Hong presents his work on TMS for smoking cessation in schizophrenia patients. He describes identifying overlapping brain circuits between nicotine addiction and schizophrenia and modulating these circuits with TMS to reduce nicotine dependence.<br /><br />The session concludes with discussions on the implications of these findings, the feasibility of these treatments, and the potential for application in adolescents and other substance use contexts. The key takeaway is that while these neuromodulation approaches show promise, more research is necessary to fully understand their mechanisms and long-term effects.

Keywords

neuromodulation

substance use disorders

non-invasive brain stimulation

deep brain stimulation

focused ultrasound

nucleus accumbens

low-intensity focused ultrasound

anterior insula

TMS

nicotine addiction

schizophrenia