# Feasibility of Deep Brain Stimulation as a Novel Treatment for Refractory Opioid Use Disorder

> **NIH NIH UH3** · WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $1,918,419

## Abstract

Abstract:
As the national toll from the opioid epidemic continues to worsen, West Virginia leads the nation
in overdose deaths, with 52 deaths per 100,000 population, and the economic impact of the
opioid epidemic on West Virginia is estimated at around $1 billion. The impact of the opioid
epidemic is not limited to West Virginia; nationally, more than 63,000 overdose deaths occurred
in 2016. Unfortunately, despite the growing necessity of treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
(OUD), most patients do not respond to the current standard of care. The success rate of
patients initially stabilized on the gold standard of treatment, Medication Assisted Therapy
(MAT) in conjunction with psychosocial interventions, is currently less than 50%. Those who fail
the gold standard have a high risk of overdose or other complications. Due to the growing
number of OUD patients and the limitations of current treatment, it is clear that new treatment
options are needed to confront this problem. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been used for
many years to successfully treat movement disorders such as Parkinsons, and has shown
promise in investigations for other mental disorders. We hypothesize that implanting the DBS
device in the nucleus accumbens region of the brain will modulate the reward and behavior self-
regulation networks, which will decrease opioid cravings. This proposal aims to test safety,
feasibility, and tolerability in an initial cohort of 4 participants during the UG3 phase. This will
allow for an evaluation of safety and tolerability of DBS in participants with treatment-refractory
OUD and a history of life-threatening complications secondary to opioid use. If the UG3 phase
is successful following intensive monitoring of the 4 participants, the UH3 phase will consist of a
randomized, controlled proof-of-concept study with 16 participants. These participants again will
have treatment-refractory OUD and a history of life-threatening complications secondary to
opioid use. During the UH3 phase, the mechanism of DBS impact on OUD will be investigated
through both neuroimaging and measurement of executive function.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10601192
- **Project number:** 4UH3DA047714-03
- **Recipient organization:** WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Ali R Rezai
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,918,419
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10601192

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10601192, Feasibility of Deep Brain Stimulation as a Novel Treatment for Refractory Opioid Use Disorder (4UH3DA047714-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-10 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10601192. Licensed CC0.

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