Effects of cerebral electrical stimulation on alcoholism: a pilot study.
Cerebral electrical stimulation (CES), born from research on electroanesthesia in the seventies, consists of the application of a pulsating current of small intensity (usually less than 1 mA, and below the threshold of perception) through the skull, e.g., in daily 30-min sessions. Claims of biological effectiveness (neurochemical, hormonal and EEG changes, naloxone-reversible analgesia in rats, etc.) and of clinical effectiveness (anxiety, depression, cognitive functions in alcoholics) have often relied on poorly controlled data. A recent controlled study in the treatment of opiate withdrawal has been positive. The present double-blind controlled study compares active CES with sham stimulation in 64 alcohol-dependent males. Over 4 weeks, both treatment groups improved significantly in most aspects. In the active treatment group additional significant improvement was observed in week-end alcohol consumption, and in two psychological measures: depression and stress symptoms index, but not in general drinking behavior.
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D010865:Pilot Projects; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome