Problematic gamblers and shopping addicts may be treated by zapping the brain

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According to a new study, problematic gamblers, shoppers, and obsessive-compulsive dieters can “readjust” their brains by zapping with electricity.

The non-invasive method sends a small electrical impact to the orbitofrontal cortex. This is the area of ​​gray matter in addicted people.

Researchers hope that this unusual technology will open the door to many obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that affects one in eight people on the planet.

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According to a new study, problematic gamblers, shoppers, and people with eating disorders may be cured by “zapping” their brains (stock image).

Uncontrollable impulses can be life-threatening and can lead to obesity, substance abuse, or financial ruin.

“This new form of personalized brain modulation may be effective in providing long-term benefits to those who are suffering from behaviors such as overeating, gambling, and shopping,” wrote the study. Said Dr. Robert Reinhardt of Boston University in the United States. ..

This treatment, called HD-tACS (High Resolution Transcranial AC Stimulation), places electrodes on the patient’s scalp.

They supply a small amount of current at a particular frequency to “retune” the brain waves, Dr. Reinhardt explained.

His team applied treatment to 124 volunteers with different levels of OCD over a five-day period.

After receiving the session, men and women performed better in a series of laboratory experiments testing self-control, including resistance to gambling.

Dr. Reinhardt said: “Reduced obsessive-compulsive behavior for up to 3 months, with the greatest improvement in those with the most severe symptoms.”

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Non-invasive techniques include sending a small impact of electricity to the orbitofrontal cortex (pictured in pink on the left side of the figure)-a region of gray matter that slows down in people with addiction.

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Brain zapping technology has the potential to open the door to combat many conditions, including gambling addiction (stock image)

New treatments open the door to many conditions that affect about one in eight people on the planet.

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Dr. Reinhardt said: “Nearly a billion people worldwide suffer from obsessive-compulsive behavior, but their mechanisms are incomplete and effective treatments are not available.

“They are very prevalent in the general public and cause serious personal distress.”

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This new form of personalized brain modulation may be effective in providing long-term benefits to those who are suffering from obsessive-compulsive eating, gambling, shopping, and other behaviors (stock image).

Existing treatments, such as antidepressants and other medications, can have disappointing results and side effects.

Dr. Reinhardt said: “Non-invasive neuromodulation allows interventions to be individualized according to individual neurophysiological dynamics.”

Mental health charities say the number of people seeking help with obsessive-compulsive disorder has skyrocketed since the pandemic began.

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Mental health charities say the number of people seeking help with obsessive-compulsive disorder has skyrocketed since the pandemic began (stock image).

Dr. Reinhardt said: ‘Currently, our results provide causal evidence of the involvement of obsessive-compulsive behavior in the orbitofrontal cortex.

‘The frequency-specific effects of neuromodulation provide mechanical insights into neurophysiology that can be targeted for symptom improvement.

The personalized neuromodulatory design leverages the neurogenic properties of the brain to produce long-term effects through chronic HD-tACS administration.

“In this study, we examined the subclinical population, and the observed benefits provide motivation for further investigation of personalized neuromodulation as an medicine for clinical obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.”

This study was published in Nature Medicine.

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