Brain Stimulation as a Novel Technique for Craving Management and the Treatment of Addiction

Abstract

The current chapter describes the use of brain stimulation for indexing variations in cortical excitability associated with exposure to drugs of abuse in humans, and reviews recent studies attempting to use brain stimulation as a potential treatment for addiction-related behaviors. The first section briefly describes the neurobiology of addiction and the effects of brain stimulation for the treatment of drug-seeking behaviors. Next the safety of brain stimulation within addicted populations is discussed. The third section explores the use of brain stimulation techniques in the treatment and study of addictions to specific drugs of abuse. It surveys emerging studies that examined the potential efficacy of rTMS or tDCS as treatments for addiction. Additionally, studies that assess the application of TMS paradigms to indexing alterations in cortical excitability associated with exposure to addictive drugs are evaluated. Finally, some future research directions for the use of brain stimulation in addictive disorders are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved). (chapter)