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Problem gamblers, shopaholics and compulsive eaters could have their brains ‘re-tuned’ by zapping them with electricity, study finds
- The non-invasive technique involves placing electrodes on a patient’s scalp
- Electrodes deliver currents at specific frequencies to “ re-tune ” brain waves
- During testing, the technique reduced obsessive-compulsive behavior for up to 3 months, with greater improvements in those with more severe symptoms.
Problem gamblers, shopaholics and compulsive eaters may have their brains “ readjusted ” by zapping them with electricity, according to a new study.
The non-invasive technique involves sending small jolts of electricity to the orbitofrontal cortex – an area of gray matter that slows down in dependent people.
Researchers hope this unusual technique could open the door to tackling a host of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) that affect about one in eight people on the planet.
Problem gamblers, shopaholics and people with eating disorders could be cured – by ‘zapping’ their brains, new research finds (stock image)
Uncontrollable urges can be life threatening – leading to obesity, drug addiction, or financial ruin.
“ This new form of personalized brain modulation may be effective in producing lasting benefits in people distressed due to actions such as compulsive eating, gambling, and shopping, ” said Dr. Robert Reinhart, of Boston University in the United States, author of the study.
Called HD-tACS (High Definition AC Transcranial Stimulation), the therapy involves placing electrodes on a patient’s scalp.
They deliver tiny currents at specific frequencies to “re-tune” brain waves, explained Dr. Reinhart.
His team applied the therapy to 124 volunteers with varying levels of OCD over a five-day period.
After undergoing the sessions, both men and women performed better in a series of lab experiments that tested their self-control, such as resistance to gambling.
Dr Reinhart said: ‘It reduced obsessive-compulsive behaviors for up to 3 months – with the biggest improvements seen in people with the most severe symptoms. ”
The non-invasive technique involves sending small jolts of electricity to the orbitofrontal cortex (shown in pink to the left of the diagram) – an area of gray matter that slows down in dependent people.
The brain-zapping technique could open the door to tackling a host of conditions, including problem gambling (stock image)
The new treatment opens the door to fighting a host of conditions that affect approximately one in eight people on the planet.
Dr Reinhart said: “Nearly a billion people worldwide suffer from obsessive-compulsive behaviors, but our mechanistic understanding of them is incomplete and effective therapies are not available.
“They are very prevalent in the general population and cause great distress to the individual.
This new form of personalized brain modulation may be effective in producing long-term benefits in people distressed due to actions such as compulsive eating, gambling, and shopping (stock image)
Existing treatments such as antidepressants and other medications produce disappointing results – and can cause side effects.
Dr Reinhart said: “With non-invasive neuromodulation, interventions can be personalized based on individual neurophysiological dynamics.”
Mental health charities have said the number of people seeking help for obsessive-compulsive disorder has risen sharply since the start of the pandemic.
Mental health charities have said the number of people seeking help for obsessive-compulsive disorder has risen sharply since the start of the pandemic (stock image)
Dr Reinhart said: “At present, our results provide causal evidence for the involvement of obsessive-compulsive behaviors in the orbitofrontal cortexin.
“The frequency-specific effects of neuromodulation provide mechanistic insight into neurophysiology that can be targeted to improve symptoms.
“The personalized neuromodulation design harnesses the neuroplastic properties of the brain to produce lasting effects through chronic administration of HD-tACS.
“Although we examined a sub-clinical population in the present study, the observed benefits motivate further research into personalized neuromodulation as an investigational drug for clinical obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders.
The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
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