Neurosurgical treatment for addiction: Lessons from an untold story in China and a path forward

TY - JOUR

T1 - Neurosurgical treatment for addiction

T2 - Lessons from an untold story in China and a path forward

AU - Ma, Shuo

AU - Zhang, Chencheng

AU - Yuan, Ti-fei

AU - Steele, Douglas

AU - Voon, Valerie

AU - Sun, Bomin

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFC0803607 to C.-C.Z.), Shanghai Science and Technology Committee (18410710400 to B.-M.S., 18QA1403700 to T.-F.Y.), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81822017 and 31771215), Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine— Institution of Neuroscience Research Center for Brain Disorders, and Medical Research Council Senior Clinical Fellowship (MR/P008747/1 to V.W.), and Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Mental Health (19MC1911100 to T.-F.Y.). Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.

PY - 2020/3/1

Y1 - 2020/3/1

N2 - Addiction is a major public-health crisis associated with significant disability and mortality. Although various pharmacological and behavioral treatments are currently available, the clinical efficacy of these treatments is limited. Given this situation, there is a growing interest in finding an effective neurosurgical treatment for addiction. First, we discuss the use of ablative surgery in treating addiction. We focus on the rise and fall of nucleus accumbens ablation for addiction in China. Subsequently, we review recent studies that have explored the efficacy and safety of deep-brain-stimulation treatment for addiction. We conclude that neurosurgical procedures, particularly deep-brain stimulation, have a potentially valuable role in the management of otherwise intractable addictive disorders. Larger well-controlled clinical trials, however, are needed to assess clinical efficacy and safety. We end by discussing several key issues involved in this clinical field and identifying some areas of progress.

AB - Addiction is a major public-health crisis associated with significant disability and mortality. Although various pharmacological and behavioral treatments are currently available, the clinical efficacy of these treatments is limited. Given this situation, there is a growing interest in finding an effective neurosurgical treatment for addiction. First, we discuss the use of ablative surgery in treating addiction. We focus on the rise and fall of nucleus accumbens ablation for addiction in China. Subsequently, we review recent studies that have explored the efficacy and safety of deep-brain-stimulation treatment for addiction. We conclude that neurosurgical procedures, particularly deep-brain stimulation, have a potentially valuable role in the management of otherwise intractable addictive disorders. Larger well-controlled clinical trials, however, are needed to assess clinical efficacy and safety. We end by discussing several key issues involved in this clinical field and identifying some areas of progress.

KW - ablative surgery

KW - deep-brain stimulation

KW - drug addiction

KW - medical ethics

KW - psychosurgery

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85086357944

U2 - 10.1093/nsr/nwz207

DO - 10.1093/nsr/nwz207

M3 - Article

C2 - 34692088

SN - 2095-5138

VL - 7

SP - 702

EP - 712

JO - National Science Review

JF - National Science Review

IS - 3

ER -