Al. Padjen et al., EFFECTS OF CEREBRAL ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION ON ALCOHOLISM - A PILOT-STUDY, Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 19(4), 1995, pp. 1004-1010
Cerebral electrical stimulation (CES), born from research on electroan
esthesia in the seventies, consists of the application of a pulsating
current of small intensity (usually less than 1 mA, and below the thre
shold of perception) through the skull, e.g., in daily 30-min sessions
. Claims of biological effectiveness (neurochemical, hormonal and EEG
changes, naloxone-reversible analgesia in rats, etc.) and of clinical
effectiveness (anxiety, depression, cognitive functions in alcoholics)
have often relied on poorly controlled data. A recent controlled stud
y in the treatment of opiate withdrawal has been positive. The present
double-blind controlled study compares active CES with sham stimulati
on in 64 alcohol-dependent males. Over 4 weeks, both treatment groups
improved significantly in most aspects. In the active treatment group
additional significant improvement was observed in week-end alcohol co
nsumption, and in two psychological measures: depression and stress sy
mptoms index, but not in general drinking behavior.