CorrespondenceDeep Brain Stimulation of Nucleus Accumbens on Heroin-Seeking Behaviors: A Case Report
Section snippets
Case Report
The subject was a 24-year-old man diagnosed with heroin dependence by DSM-III-R criteria. At the time of the procedure, he had been abusing heroin regularly by intravenous injection of 1.0 g to ∼1.5 g per day for over 5 years. He did not respond to multiple detoxification treatments, including compulsory detoxification, psychological and behavior interventions, and medications. He had been unemployed because of drug abuse.
The NAc DBS procedure was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee
Discussion
The clinical practice of surgical ablation of the NAc in China, although controversial and currently stopped, appeared to be effective in alleviating psychological dependence on opiate drugs. The NAc represents the common pathway for drug relapse (12, 13, 14), which seems to be the most promising therapeutic target in attempts to attenuate drug relapse.
Compared with surgical ablation of select brain tissues (i.e., NAc, cingular gyri), DBS is a less invasive, reversible, and adjustable
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