Neuroselective Stimulation for Narcotic Detoxification

Presently, detoxification using methadone is the only FDA approved method for treating narcoticaddiction. However, methadone had not proven to be effective in eliminating addiction, and is itselfaddicting, producing a more severe withdrawal syndrome than heroin. Advances in neurosciencesuggest that the auricular application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) may providea nonpharmacological, nonaddicting means for alleviating the narcotic withdrawal syndrome which iseasy and safe to administer and appealing to individuals who are seeking to overcome a chemicaldependency. The objective of this project is to evaluate a unique form of auricular TENS, which appliessine-wave constant alternating current bilaterally to the conchae of the ears, as a method for alleviatingthe signs and symptoms of narcotic withdrawal in chronic narcotic users who are undergoingdetoxification. An initial pilot study (Phase I) will identify the parameters of stimulation (i.e., frequency)for optimal effect, and subsequent studies (Phase II) will compare TENS of these parameters withmethadone in terms of their ability to attenuate signs and symptoms of narcotic withdrawal. The resultsof this project may lead to the use of this form of TENS as a nonpharmacologic, nonaddictive alternativeto methadone in narcotic detoxification.