Lateral habenula deep brain stimulation for personalized treatment of drug addiction

Drug addiction is a major brain disease, and a serious clinical and social problem. The number of adults who require substance abuse treatment is anticipated to escalate from 1.7 million in 2000 and 2001 to 4.4 million in 2020 (Gfroerer et al., 2003). Addiction is a gradual process, which begins with occasional use, proceeds to regular use and finally progresses to uncontrollable abuse. The main problem is the high rates of relapse among abusers who have ceased drug use. Cocaine, in particular, is one of the most prevalent recreational drugs, with especially high relapse rates (Bossert et al., 2005). To date, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for stimulant drugs of abuse such as cocaine.