Impact

Using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat severe alcohol addiction

Working collaboratively with the University of Cambridge, the NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility are supporting the delivery of a neurological study known as Brain-PACER to treat severe alcohol addiction.

Alcohol addiction is a global public health issue with harms from alcohol costing the United Kingdom £24.9 billion per year. Severe alcohol addiction increases the risk of serious health conditions and can have a devastating impact on an individual’s quality of life.

The Brain-PACER study is using the Clinical Trials Facility (CTF) for pre-operative and post-operative cognitive and physiological testing, with the NIHR King’s Clinical Research Facility providing the equipment and space needed to facilitate this.

Key facts about the study

• Brain-PACER: Brain Pacemaker Addiction Control to End Relapse study is a major multicentre research study using deep brain stimulation (DBS) to treat severe alcohol addiction.
• As part of the treatment, participants undergo a neurological procedure to have thin wires (electrodes) implanted into the brain, targeting areas that are responsible for motivation, reward and pleasure which play a key role in addiction.
• The electrodes are connected to a small battery-powered device called a pulse generator, which will deliver ongoing stimulation to the participant’s brain over a 12-month period, acting as a brain pacemaker to normalise abnormal brain activity.
• Multiple small studies suggest DBS is effective in addictions, but Brain-PACER is the first major, multicentre study to use DBS to treat craving and relapse in severe alcohol addiction.