Laser treatment has show promise in controlling drug addiction in rats, according to a research team at University of California, San Francisco.
In their study, the researchers effectively turned cocaine addiction in rats on and off with the use of a laser and light-sensitive proteins implanted in the brain.
The genetically engineered proteins, called rhodopsins, were administered into the nerve cells in the rats' prefrontal cortex. These proteins could then be activated and deactivated using a laser.
When active, the rats showed no signs of cocaine addiction and when deactivated their addiction returned.
"When we turn on a laser light in the prelimbic region of the prefrontal cortex, the compulsive cocaine seeking is gone," study co-researcher Dr. Antonello Bonci.
The study report adds that a human equivalent of this treatment could be coming in the near future but would likely use electromagnetic stimulation outside the scalp instead of lasers.
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