title: Successful deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens in severe alcohol dependence is associated with changed performance monitoring.
abstract: Following recent advances in neuromodulation therapy for mental disorders, we treated one patient with severe alcohol addiction with deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Before and one year following the surgery, we assessed the effects of DBS within the NAc on the addiction as well as on psychometric scores and electrophysiological measures of cognitive control. In our patient, DBS achieved normalization of addictive behavior and craving. An electrophysiological marker of error processing (the error-related negativity) linked to anterior mid-cingulate cortex (aMCC) functioning was altered through DBS, an effect that could be reversed by periods without stimulation. Thus, this case supports the hypothesis that DBS of the NAc could have a positive effect on addiction trough a normalization of craving associated with aMCC dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Germany. jens.kuhn@uk-koeln.de
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Theo O J
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Gründler
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Huff
authors.forename: Adrian G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lenartz
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maarouf
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bührle
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klosterkötter
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ullsperger
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sturm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000502:physiology*; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted