The use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is being explored as potential treatment for addiction, with some success in treating depression, OCD and nicotine addiction. TMS is applied to the frontal lobe and different parts of it have different effects on the brain.
The Foundation for OCD Research is conducting an invasive trial to explore whether Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) improves OCD when modulated. A non-invasive approach is critical to optimize precision and define circuits.
Experiments with a couple of different brain areas involving patients who were allowed to stimulate with mild electric shocks, revealed that all three of them preferred an area in the midline thalamic structure, which produced feelings of anger and frustration, according to a transcript from the podcast 'Neurotalk'.