WVU team to study brain implant’s ability to treat addiction

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A group of researchers at West Virginia University plans to study how a brain implant could affect opioid cravings for people with substance use disorder.

The Register-Herald reports that neuroscientist Dr. Ali Rezai is developing the implant, which will transmit electric impulses to the reward system of the brain.

Addiction psychiatrist Dr. James Berry says he doesn’t think brain surgery or medicine will solve the addiction crisis, but says the implant could be an option for patients who haven’t responded to evidence-based treatments.

Berry says the team is currently designing the study and pursuing federal grants and other funding options.

Like many states across the nation, West Virginia is in the midst of an opioid epidemic.

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Information from: The Register-Herald, http://www.register-herald.com