Electroacupuncture for the Treatment of Morphine and Cocaine Addiction

Abstract

Opiate and cocaine are two major drugs of addiction. The first report to verify the success of electroacupuncture (EA) in the treatment of opiate addiction was published in 1972. It stated that in opiate addicts, the application of EA to 4 body points and 2 ear points relieved the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Dr. Wen’s method was subsequently modified in 1985 by the US National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA). The so-called “NADA” protocol consists of a 5-point auricular acupuncture. In 2012, we systematically reviewed the evidence from randomized clinical trials published in Chinese and English from 1970 onwards. Most of these trials agreed that acupuncture was an effective strategy for the treatment of opiate addiction. The conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm assesses the rewarding effects of a variety of drugs. Animal models have demonstrated that acupuncture affects the reinforcing effects of morphine and cocaine. Several animal studies have demonstrated that EA at 2 and 100 Hz facilitates the recovery of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons damaged by chronic morphine administration and up-regulates BDNF protein levels in the VTA. In addition, EA has been found to reduce cocaine-induced seizures and death in basic studies. According to the evidence, EA effectively modulates mesolimbic dopamine neurons and thus reduces the effects of positive and negative reinforcement involved in opiate addiction.