Fighting alcoholism is one of the many challenges that researchers face in the medical field. A new US study could be a game-changer.
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Recently published in Nature Communications, this report indicates that scientists have successfully treated alcoholism in rats. All thanks to a device that works "like a switch".
"What is particularly pleasing is that we have been able to control the desire to drink alcohol in severely dependent individuals with a simple switch!" said Professor Olivier George, delighted.
Inhibiting desire and withdrawal symptoms.
Their miracle device is actually a brain implant, the effects of which are controlled by a laser. "By implanting optical fibres in the heart of the brain and directing a laser that specifically inhibits these neurons, we have been able to drastically reduce the consumption of alcohol and the physical symptoms of withdrawal," the researchers were pleased to say.
Although the device has proven itself on a rodent, we shouldn’t rejoice too quickly. According to the researchers, a similar treatment for humans is not yet possible.
"This requires advanced technology, which has not yet been approved for use in humans," say scientists. "So it could take another 15 to 30 years to see a brain implant that controls the desire to drink in alcoholics."
Check out the video above to see more on this fascinating new possibility...
