Brain Stimulation Relieves Pain, Decreases Opioid Cravings

Two strategies for relieving chronic pain with the use of transcranial magnetic brain stimulation (TMS) studied by researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina may open the door to an alternative to the use of prescription opioids.

Findings of the study were published by the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

A total of 22 chronic pain patients currently using prescription opioids were randomly assigned to receive 10 sessions of repetitive TMS to either the motor cortex or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Researchers found the administration of TMS to the motor cortex to be more effective in reducing patients’ urges to use opioids, as well as patients’ perception of pain, both immediately and at follow-up sessions.

In a news release announcing the findings, principal investigator Colleen Hanlon, PhD, a professor in the university’s department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, said she had expected the administration of TMS to the DLPFC to be more effective, but the results showed the opposite to be true. Historically, TMS treatments have targeted the DLPFC because it is a key area for regulating emotions and addiction.

While TMS has previously been shown to be effective in chronic pain studies, the new finding in this study—that administration of TMS to the motor cortex can also reduce cravings for opioids—suggests it could be useful in addiction treatment, said MUSC research coordinator and lab manager Julia Imperatore.

“Not only pain but also the urge to use, in this case, opiates," Hanlon added in the news release. “It's a whole new window of opportunity that we can explore.”