Clinical Trial: Deep Brain Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens and the Ventral Anterior Internal Capsule for Severe Alcohol Addiction

Study Status: Recruiting
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional

Official Title: Deep Brain Stimulation of the Nucleus Accumbens and the Ventral Anterior Internal Capsule as a Novel Treatment in Severe Alcohol Addiction

Brief Summary:

The main objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the ventral anterior internal capsule (VC) as a novel treatment in severe alcohol addiction. The included patients have been treated so far with drugs that inhibits alcohol, or psychological behavior training.

Our hypothesis is that bilateral NAc-VC DBS will significantly reduce the craving for alcohol and thus enable the patients to decrease their alcohol intake substantially.


Detailed Summary: The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is considered associating with addiction. The ventral anterior internal capsule(VC) is proved a effective target to obsessive compulsive disorder(OCD). Like other addiction behaviors most alcohol addicts contain obsessive compulsive symptom. We explored an operation method, that is, in the Leksell stereotactic positioning system take VC as the point of entry, take NAc as the point of target, then make sure that the distance between entry and target points are included in the four contacts of electrode of DBS. When stimulator is ON the investigators can adjust parameters so that the coverage of electrode contains both Vc and NAc. The investigators suppose that bilateral NAc-VC DBS will significantly reduce the craving for alcohol and thus enable the patients to decrease their alcohol intake substantially.
Sponsor: Guodong Gao

Current Primary Outcome: Reduction of Alcohol [ Time Frame: 7 months ]

Reduction of the dosage of alcohol(all kinds of liquor were converted into pure alcohol) comparing baseline and the particular ward rounds during and at the end of the crossover-design.


Original Primary Outcome: Same as current

Current Secondary Outcome: Craving [ Time Frame: 7 months ]

10-point visual analog scale (VAS) of craving


Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current

Information By: Tang-Du Hospital

Dates:
Date Received: July 26, 2012
Date Started: July 2012
Date Completion: March 2014
Last Updated: August 2, 2012
Last Verified: August 2012