15 minute sessionsThe participants in the study all smoked at least 20 cigarettes per day and all already attempted to quit smoking in the past using other methods. They were invited for 13 sessions of 15 minutes each, over a period of three weeks.“We decided to conduct the research because addiction is a major health problem. I have been studying the basic mechanisms of addiction in animals for 10 years and identified neurochemical alterations in specific brain regions associated with the development of addiction. Moreover, we found that electrical stimulation for cocaine addiction of specific brain regions in animals can reduce drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior.”Zangen says that the study performed on animals was based on implanted electrodes and required translation to human application. The result was the special helmet that were developed for non-surgical stimulation of deep brain regions in humans. “We started with nicotine addiction because it is more common and easier to recruit participants for the initial study,” he says.Deeper stimulationThe researchers have already completed one study using standard transcranial magnetic stimulation coils in smokers. Its initial results, which were published in the journal Addiction in 2009, were not satisfactory. According to Zangen, many people started smoking less, but none of them really quit smoking completely.“The current study utilizes the special electromagnetic coils for deeper stimulation of the relevant brain regions associated with the craving circuitry in the brain. The results are much more promising,” he says.He adds: “The previous technology, termed ‘standard TMS’, can induce effective fields up to 1-2 cm in the brain, while the new technology we have developed, termed ‘deepTMS’, can induce effective fields up to 5 cm in the brain.”During the treatment, some participants experienced moderate headaches, especially in the first sessions. But Zangen assures that this is transient, and lasts only up to a half hour after the treatment.According to Zangen, this research is a breakthrough that can affect other fields too. The study shows that multiple sessions of electromagnetic stimulation of the brain can make long-term changes in neural networks that mediate pathological behavior. Moreover, it shows that psychological activation of the relevant circuitry in the brain combined with the physical electromagnetic stimulation provides better results.NoCamels - Israeli Innovation NewsFollow @JPost_Lifestyle
New brain stimulation device helps smokers quit
In Israeli study, special helmet-like device developed for deep stimulation of specific parts of the brain.
15 minute sessionsThe participants in the study all smoked at least 20 cigarettes per day and all already attempted to quit smoking in the past using other methods. They were invited for 13 sessions of 15 minutes each, over a period of three weeks.“We decided to conduct the research because addiction is a major health problem. I have been studying the basic mechanisms of addiction in animals for 10 years and identified neurochemical alterations in specific brain regions associated with the development of addiction. Moreover, we found that electrical stimulation for cocaine addiction of specific brain regions in animals can reduce drug-seeking and drug-taking behavior.”Zangen says that the study performed on animals was based on implanted electrodes and required translation to human application. The result was the special helmet that were developed for non-surgical stimulation of deep brain regions in humans. “We started with nicotine addiction because it is more common and easier to recruit participants for the initial study,” he says.Deeper stimulationThe researchers have already completed one study using standard transcranial magnetic stimulation coils in smokers. Its initial results, which were published in the journal Addiction in 2009, were not satisfactory. According to Zangen, many people started smoking less, but none of them really quit smoking completely.“The current study utilizes the special electromagnetic coils for deeper stimulation of the relevant brain regions associated with the craving circuitry in the brain. The results are much more promising,” he says.He adds: “The previous technology, termed ‘standard TMS’, can induce effective fields up to 1-2 cm in the brain, while the new technology we have developed, termed ‘deepTMS’, can induce effective fields up to 5 cm in the brain.”During the treatment, some participants experienced moderate headaches, especially in the first sessions. But Zangen assures that this is transient, and lasts only up to a half hour after the treatment.According to Zangen, this research is a breakthrough that can affect other fields too. The study shows that multiple sessions of electromagnetic stimulation of the brain can make long-term changes in neural networks that mediate pathological behavior. Moreover, it shows that psychological activation of the relevant circuitry in the brain combined with the physical electromagnetic stimulation provides better results.NoCamels - Israeli Innovation NewsFollow @JPost_Lifestyle