Treat alcoholism with laser
Everyone has weaknesses and flaws, but they don’t always define who we are. If you can learn to put them in perspective, then life will go much smoother. Many people have overcome their addiction to alcoholism, though others do not. Current rehabilitation methods are not 100% effective. Scripps Research scientists seem to have found a solution to this.
They were able to target specific neurons in the brains of alcohol-dependent mice that help reduce their alcohol dependence. Our results show that this technique has some potential. We have seen some success with mouse trials, but we hope to see much more as time goes on. It remains to be seen how effective it is in humans.
The research uncovers a withdrawal-related neuronal washout in a brain region that is activated during alcohol withdrawal and which controls alcohol consumption in the rodent model of alcoholism. They can also identify which of the neurons control the rest of the brain in producing addictive behaviours.
“What excited us about the findings is that we can control the motivation to drink alcohol in heavily addicted individuals with the flip of a switch. By embedding optical wires deep into the brain and turning on the laser that targets specific neurons, we can dramatically reduce alcohol consumption and the physical symptoms of withdrawal.” said Professor Olivier George
The application within humans is a promising and exciting idea that may not happen for up to 30 years.
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Author: PC-GR
The World of Technology
