Korea's First High-Intensity Ultrasonic Brain Surgery Initiates Research on Drug Addiction Treatment
Jan 02, 2025
A research team led by Professor Jang Jin-woo of Neurosurgery at Korea University Anam Hospital (Chun Young-hoon, Director of Chamsarang Hospital, Incheon Chamsarang Hospital, Professor Lee Hae-guk of Psychiatry at Catholic University) has started a clinical study of intensive ultrasound brain surgery for the treatment of single methamphetamine poisoning patients for the first time in Korea and the first time in the world with the support of research funds from the Focus Ultrasound Foundation (FUS Foundation, VA, USA).
Accidents caused by drugs are continuing in Korea as well as in advanced countries such as the United States. Drug addiction is serious because it causes difficulties in daily life and changes such as emotional control can occur, causing extreme behavior without hesitation.
Addiction treatments include medication, behavioral therapy, and counseling. However, therapeutic drugs are difficult because they can develop resistance or side effects. In addition, addicted patients have limitations in continuing treatment only with individual will and have a high risk of recurrence.
Although surgical treatments such as non-invasive nerve intervention and deep brain stimulation surgery that transfer current to the brain surface are being studied, the need for new treatments has been steadily raised as it is difficult to apply to addicted patients due to processes such as craniotomy and general anesthesia.
Recently, the University of West Virginia in the United States proved the effectiveness of high-intensity ultrasound brain surgery on multiple drug-addicted patients for the first time in the world. However, studies of high-intensity ultrasound surgery on single drug-addicted patients have not yet been attempted or performed.
Professor Jang Jin-woo's research team will confirm the therapeutic effect and mechanism of high-intensity ultrasound brain surgery in drug-addicted patients, which are becoming the biggest problem worldwide, through clinical research on single methamphetamine poisoning patients. Unlike conventional neurosurgical methods, high-intensity ultrasound brain surgery is a non-invasive surgery that has the advantage of being less burdensome for patients and being able to perform it repeatedly.
Professor Jang Jin-woo said, "Drug addiction is a big problem not only for individuals but also for society, and it must be solved in Korea. We will prepare a way to stimulate and control the brains of addicted patients more safely with high-intensity ultrasound through research." It is expected that the study will identify new turning points and possibilities in addiction treatment."
Accidents caused by drugs are continuing in Korea as well as in advanced countries such as the United States. Drug addiction is serious because it causes difficulties in daily life and changes such as emotional control can occur, causing extreme behavior without hesitation.
Addiction treatments include medication, behavioral therapy, and counseling. However, therapeutic drugs are difficult because they can develop resistance or side effects. In addition, addicted patients have limitations in continuing treatment only with individual will and have a high risk of recurrence.
Although surgical treatments such as non-invasive nerve intervention and deep brain stimulation surgery that transfer current to the brain surface are being studied, the need for new treatments has been steadily raised as it is difficult to apply to addicted patients due to processes such as craniotomy and general anesthesia.
Recently, the University of West Virginia in the United States proved the effectiveness of high-intensity ultrasound brain surgery on multiple drug-addicted patients for the first time in the world. However, studies of high-intensity ultrasound surgery on single drug-addicted patients have not yet been attempted or performed.
Professor Jang Jin-woo's research team will confirm the therapeutic effect and mechanism of high-intensity ultrasound brain surgery in drug-addicted patients, which are becoming the biggest problem worldwide, through clinical research on single methamphetamine poisoning patients. Unlike conventional neurosurgical methods, high-intensity ultrasound brain surgery is a non-invasive surgery that has the advantage of being less burdensome for patients and being able to perform it repeatedly.
Professor Jang Jin-woo said, "Drug addiction is a big problem not only for individuals but also for society, and it must be solved in Korea. We will prepare a way to stimulate and control the brains of addicted patients more safely with high-intensity ultrasound through research." It is expected that the study will identify new turning points and possibilities in addiction treatment."
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
