A revolutionary research study is offering people a new way to overcome severe alcohol and opioid drug addictions by implanting electrodes into the brain to enhance self-control and overcome cravings by modulating brain activity.
The study, called Brain-PACER (opens in a new tab), uses a technique called deep brain stimulation (DBS) and will soon start recruiting at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The study will assess whether DBS is able to treat alcohol and opioid addiction.
The goal of the study is to provide new treatment options for people living with severe addiction, as well as helping to learn more about the brain mechanisms involved in driving addiction.
We see first-hand how deep brain stimulation surgery can be life-changing for patients with movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. Thanks to this trial, I am now hopeful that we can help patients and their families – who have often struggled for years – by targeting the parts of the brain linked to addiction.
Harry Bulstrode, a CUH surgeon on the Brain-PACER trial, honorary consultant neurosurgeon
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is already widely used as a treatment for neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, as well as obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
DBS is a neurosurgical procedure to implant electrodes connected to a pacemaker into key parts of the brain. The electrodes are placed to provide stimulation to key parts of the brain. For addiction, the electrodes are placed in areas involved in reward, motivation, and decision-making.
While many people who experience alcohol or drug addiction can, with the right support, control their impulses, for some people, their addiction is so severe that no treatments are effective. Their addiction is hugely harmful to their health and wellbeing, to their relationships and their everyday lives.
Initial evidence suggests that deep brain stimulation may be able to help these individuals manage their conditions. We’ve seen how effective it can be for other neurological disorders from Parkinson’s to OCD to depression. We want to see if it can also transform the lives of people with intractable alcohol and opioid addiction.
Professor Valerie Voon, Brain-PACER chief investigator, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust surgeons involved in the study include Harry Bulstrode, Peter Hutchinson and Robert Morris.
Brain-PACER is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge, Kings College London and the University of Oxford. It is the first major, multicentre study to use DBS to treat craving and relapse in severe addiction. In addition to Cambridge, the study is also recruiting at King’s College Hospital, London.
Deep brain stimulation is a powerful surgical technique that can transform lives. It will be a major leap forward if we can show efficacy in this very difficult disease with huge burden to the patients and society.
Keyoumars Ashkan, Brain-PACER lead surgeon, Professor of Neurosurgery at King’s College Hospital
Details on the trial, including criteria for participation and how to sign up, can be found on the Brain-PACER website.
The research is supported by the Medical Research Council, UK Research & Innovation.