Neurosurgical Treatment for Drug Addiction: Systematic Review
Arq. bras. neurocir; 39 (2), 2020
Publication year: 2020
Substance-related disorders are psychiatric conditions that have a worldwide impact.
Their multifactorial cycle has been treated pharmacologically and with therapeutic
support. However, high refractoriness rates and difficulty to control relapses are among
the pitfalls associated with these disorders. Thus, recent studies have shown that deep
brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment, with a direct intervention in the
neurocircuitry of addiction. The results of the present systematic review of the use of
DBS for the treatment of drug addiction show that this surgical procedure can reduce
the desire for the drug, and, in some cases, establish abstinence, improve psychiatric
symptoms related to mood and quality of life, and reintroduce the patient into the
social and family environments. Nevertheless, this approach is still limited to the
academic realm, based mainly on case reports, with ethics and therapeutic protocols
still to be defined. Further in-depth scientific investigations are required to recommend
its clinical application.