Cambridge 'brain pacemaker' implant trial to combat addiction
People with severe alcohol and opioid addictions are being offered the chance to have electrodes implanted in their brains in an attempt to help them transform their lives. The technique – known as deep brain stimulation – is to be trialled at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, and King's College Hospital, London. The team behind the Brain Pacemaker Addiction Control to End Relapse study (the Brain-PACER) is currently recruiting people. Prof Valerie Voon, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, said: "We want to see if it can also transform the lives of people with intractable alcohol and opioid addiction."
Once in place, the electrodes modulate brain activity and cravings to help improve self-control.Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure that delivers ongoing stimulation to the brain. According to the University of Cambridge, it acts as a "brain pacemaker" to normalise abnormal brain activity.The technique is well-tolerated, effective and already widely used for neurological disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder, the researchers said.Although there have been several proof-of-concept studies suggesting DBS is effective in addictions, according to those behind the research, Brain-PACER, is the first major, multicentre study to use DBS to treat craving and relapse in severe addiction.
Prof Voon, added: "While many people who experience alcohol or drug addiction can, with the right support, control their impulses, for some people, their addiction is so severe that no treatments are effective. "Initial evidence suggests that deep brain stimulation may be able to help these individuals manage their conditions."DBS is a neurosurgical treatment that involves implanting a slender electrode in the brain and a pacemaker under general anaesthesia. These electrodes deliver electrical impulses to modulate neural activity, which can help alleviate symptoms of various neurological and psychiatric disorders.Dr David Okai, visiting senior lecturer from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, added: "DBS is safe, reversible and adjustable, so it offers a flexible option for managing chronic conditions. "We hope it will offer a lifeline to help improve the quality of life for patients whose treatment until now has been unsuccessful."Details on the trial, including criteria for participation and how to sign up, can be found on the Brain-PACER website.The research is supported by the Medical Research Council, UK Research and Innovation.
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Kids may get wrong ADHD diagnosis based on 'arbitrary thresholds', experts warn
Many people are still living with ADHD without a diagnosis or support but an NHS-funded review suggests the real numbers with the condition is not on the rise Diagnosing children with ADHD is based on 'arbitrary thresholds' which could cause the NHS to wrongly prescribe children drugs for the condition, experts warn. Around three million Brits are thought to have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and despite heightened awareness of the condition many remain undiagnosed. But an NHS-funded review has found 'evolving diagnosis criteria' may be in part why more people are being diagnosed but could find no evidence of a real increase in people with the condition since 2020. Leading experts insist the NHS is still playing 'catch up' after generations when there was no recognition of ADHD and many girls in particular remain undiagnosed. Study author Dr Alex Martin, of King's College London, said: 'While assessments and help-seeking may be increasing, our study has shown significant gaps in the tracking of ADHD prevalence, resulting in a frustratingly unclear picture. The best data we have suggests that there has been no meaningful increase in ADHD prevalence.' ADHD is characterised by difficulty focusing on things, hyperactivity and impulsivity. A previous study on seven million Brits showed there had been a 20-fold increase in people receiving a diagnosis for ADHD between 2000 and 2018. Among men aged 18 to 29 there was a 50-fold increase. But experts warn clinicians may feel pressured to make 'artificial decisions' as changing cultural norms drive increased demand for children struggling at school to be diagnosed and get support. They warn about the risk of children wrongly being given ADHD drugs and say clinicians should be able to 'undiagnose' them if they improve. Prof Phillip Shaw, director at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London, said: 'Giving medications for ADHD to people who don't have it - that's never a good idea. They are generally very safe medications… but they do have side effects and they have to be monitored.' Jamie Oliver bravely reveals kids' health diagnosis as he opens up about 'bonkers' family The NHS is pulling together better national data on ADHD which can significantly interfere with daily life and development. The neurodevelopmental condition can affect things like schoolwork, daily tasks and social interactions. The new paper by King's College London is the first systematic review of ADHD prevalence to be published since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and looked at 40 studies. Prof Edmund Sonuga-Barke, of King's College London, said: 'The history of ADHD in the UK is one of chronic under recognition so the increase in diagnoses we've seen over the last ten or so years is really a resetting or a catch up. And there's actually plenty more to do in this regard.' However Prof Sonuga-Barke said diagnosis uses 'essentially arbitrary ADHD thresholds' that are 'not based on any natural, biological or clinical boundary'. He added: 'This forces us to consider how those thresholds are socially determined and culturally dependent. The fluidity around boundaries between ADHD and not ADHD inevitably leave clinicians having to make rather artificial decisions about very fine margins.' Prof Phillip Shaw, who is one of the country's leading experts but was not involved in the research, said: 'For kids who are in the grey area there are three options here; to make a diagnosis or not, or often we just wait and watch. And for those kids in particular we always start educating the family and the child about what ADHD is and seeing if there are strategies they can use at home to help them. We also place an enormous emphasis on accommodations at school for the hyperactive kid [such as]... let them do their work standing up, maybe have preferential seating for inattentive kids, do things to break it [the work] up. You'll find all really good teachers already do this.' People with the neuro-developmental disorder may have trouble concentrating or sitting still, while other symptoms include being easily distracted, forgetfulness, finding it hard to follow instructions or organise time, and making impulsive decisions. Best estimates from a 2018 study suggests true prevalence of ADHD among children could be 5%. Back then 2.5% of boys and 0.7% of girls in the UK had been diagnosed but this is likely to have increased since then. An estimated 2-3% of adults had ADHD but only around 1% had a diagnosis. Prof Phillip Shaw warned children with other mental health problems such as anxiety could be mistakenly labelled as having ADHD. He added: 'My hunch is that there's such a huge awareness of ADHD that it's often used as a language of distress. It's sometimes used to express that children and young people are struggling, particularly at school, and need help. And of course, when a child is having problems that are impacting their life in a sustained way, they deserve a full mental health assessment, even if the final diagnosis doesn't end up being ADHD.' Researchers admitted all but four of the studies included in the review were 'poor quality' and more research is needed. However surveys included did suggest there has been 'no significant rise' in the number of people who actually have the condition since 2020. Social media platforms like TikTok have played a role in raising awareness. Earlier this month NHS England estimated for the first time that 2,498,000 people in England may have ADHD, which includes those without a diagnosis. An estimated 741,000 are children and young people aged five to 24. More than half a million people (549,000) were waiting for an ADHD assessment at the end of March 2025, up from 416,000 a year earlier. Catherine Hinwood, NHS England's ADHD Programme Director said: 'This research backs the long-term vision set out in our recently published ADHD data improvement plan to have accurate national data on all aspects of ADHD – and we published our first ever national ADHD data set including estimated prevalence figures last week. Patients are waiting too long for an ADHD assessment and diagnosis and that's why the NHS has also launched an independent taskforce to investigate the challenges facing services and help them manage the rising numbers of referrals, with support from across society.' This study was funded by NHS England and was conducted by the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response. It is published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
BBC Learning English - Learning English from the News / Human consciousness: Where is it in the brain?
() ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The story Consciousness is everything a person experiences – someone's awareness of their thoughts, feelings, sensations, memories. But where does this happen in the brain? Scientists haven't yet agreed on an explanation, but recently, two leading theories were put to the test in a large, research project. The two theories that were put against each other were very different. For example, for one of them, the front part of the brain is not considered necessary for consciousness. Whereas the other theory argues that consciousness comes from what they call 'global broadcasting' across the brain, which does include the front regions. Both theories made some accurate predictions about what was happening in the brain, but some of the predictions were wrong. 'Both theories are incomplete,' said Dr. Ferrante, one of the neuroscientists working on the project. News headlines Two Theories Face Off to Explain the Origins of Consciousness Scientific American Two Theories of Consciousness Faced Off. The Ref Took a Beating. The New York Times Landmark study puts leading theories of consciousness to the test— neither comes out unscathed University of Birmingham Key words and phrases face off meet to argue or compete Two colleagues of mine are facing off in a battle for the promotion. take a beating suffer some damage My presentation at work last week went really badly. My confidence really took a beating. unscathed undamaged The government came out unscathed after the corruption scandal. Next Learn more English vocabulary from the news with our News Review archive. Try our podcast Learning English for Work.
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- South Wales Guardian
A-ha singer Morten Harket announces Parkinson's disease diagnosis
The frontman of the Norwegian synth-pop group, known for hits including Take On Me and You Are The One, said he is having issues with his voice due to the condition, which causes parts of the brain to become progressively damaged over many years. His bandmate Magne Furuholmen has said all future A-ha-related activities 'will of course be tuned to suit Morten's situation'. A post shared by a-ha (@officialaha) Speaking to a biographer for an article on the A-ha website, Harket, 65, said: 'I've got no problem accepting the diagnosis. With time I've taken to heart my 94-year-old father's attitude to the way the organism gradually surrenders: 'I use whatever works'.' He continued: 'Acknowledging the diagnosis wasn't a problem for me; it's my need for peace and quiet to work that has been stopping me. 'I'm trying the best I can to prevent my entire system from going into decline. 'It's a difficult balancing act between taking the medication and managing its side effects. 'There's so much to weigh up when you're emulating the masterful way the body handles every complex movement, or social matters and invitations, or day-to-day life in general.' Harket underwent a neurosurgical procedure in which electrodes were implanted deep inside the left side of his brain in June 2024 and had a similar procedure on the right side of his brain in December 2024, according to the website article. These electrodes are connected to a small pacemaker-like device placed under the skin of the upper chest that sends electrical impulses through the electrodes into the brain and this method of treatment is called deep brain stimulation (DBS). There is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease but there are treatments like physiotherapy and medication, according to the NHS website. The main symptoms are tremors, slow movement and stiff and inflexible muscles, and Harket also said the condition has affected his voice. 'The problems with my voice are one of many grounds for uncertainty about my creative future,' he said. Asked if he can sing at the moment, he said: 'I don't really know. I don't feel like singing, and for me that's a sign. 'I'm broadminded in terms of what I think works; I don't expect to be able to achieve full technical control. The question is whether I can express myself with my voice. 'As things stand now, that's out of the question. But I don't know whether I'll be able to manage it at some point in the future.' He added: 'For a few years now I've been working on songs that I've got great belief in, and I feel the lyrics, especially, have something of a different aspect of me in them. 'I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish them for release. Time will tell if they make it. 'I really like the idea of just going for it, as a Parkinson's patient and an artist, with something completely outside the box. It's all up to me, I just have to get this out of the way first.' A-ha formed in Oslo in 1982, comprised of guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy, keyboardist Furuholmen and lead singer Harket. The band has had nine top 10 singles in the UK chart, including chart-topping track The Sun Always Shines On TV, and seven top 10 albums. Furuholmen said in an Instagram post on Wednesday: 'It is a day of sad news in a-ha world. Having known about Morten's diagnosis for some time does not take the force out of the blow, nor diminish the impact it has had, and will continue have, on us – as people and as a band. 'Our thoughts are first and foremost with Morten and his family at a difficult time adjusting to the changes that this condition has brought into their lives. 'As the news brings sadness, it is worth to remember through the hurt that there is also a lot of gratitude: for all the amazing memories, for how our combined creative efforts as a band have been so generously embraced by the world, and for how lucky we are that people continue to find meaning, hope and joy in our shared musical legacy. 'All future a-ha-related activities will of course be tuned to suit Morten's situation, but together we will work to try and find ways to give you the best of ourselves. Thank you everyone for all your support, your kind words, and consideration.'
