Can medical imaging help drug addicts get clean?
Researchers at the University of Virginia Health (UVA Health) are exploring the potential of low-intensity focused ultrasound as a treatment approach for drug addiction, particularly in reducing cravings for cocaine. Nassima Ait-Daoud Tiouririne, MD, the director of UVA’s Center for Leading Edge Addiction Research (CLEAR), is promoting a clinical trial that aims to evaluate this novel technique.
The idea is to use focused sound waves to influence cells in the brain associated with addiction cravings. These cells are located within the insula, a region believed to be significant in various forms of addiction.
“If successful, we become one step closer to developing new, safer ways to treat addiction,” Ait-Daoud Tiouririne said in a statement. "Addiction is [a] brain disorder. Treatment should include non invasive neuromodulation of the brain circuits that cause the addiction in the first place.”
The clinical trial is currently open for enrollment, targeting adults who are actively using cocaine and are not currently attempting to quit. The trial entails five in-person visits and two phone calls over 10 weeks. UVA Health says participants will undergo treatment to assess whether focused ultrasound can effectively reduce their cravings for the drug.
While the focus of this clinical trial is on cocaine addiction, researchers believe that the findings may have broader applications in the treatment of other forms of addiction. If successful, his study has the potential to introduce a new, noninvasive method for addressing the neurological aspects of addiction therapy.
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