Participants with severe AUD will undergo baseline medical and psychiatric assessments, cognitive and behavioral testing, and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. One to two weeks later, participants will undergo neurosurgical implantation of DBS electrodes in the limbic pallidum and a neurostimulator. Four weeks after DBS system implantation, the DBS system will be turned ON and the stimulation parameters optimized. Participants will be followed biweekly then monthly for repeated comprehensive assessments.
The purpose of this clinical study is to investigate the safety, tolerability, and feasibility of Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) of the limbic pallidum in participants with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) who have advanced but compensated liver fibrosis.