by SCOTT CAPPER
The activity of neurons can be controlled using pulses of laser light delivered into the brain with an optical fibre PHOTO/Keystone/Henning Dalhoff /Science Photo Library)
A cutting-edge technology that could potentially combat drug addiction could also help defeat neurological disorders such as depression and schizophrenia, according to University of Geneva researcher Christian Lüscher.
A research team led by Lüscher used optogenetics, which combines the use of genetics and light, to show how cocaine affects the brain of a mouse, but also how the addicted animal might be cured, opening the door for a treatment for heavy drug users.
If the results of the study recently published in the journal Nature can make the jump from mice to humans, optogenetics might also be considered in the long term as a toolkit that could help overcome some neurological disorders, according to Lüscher.
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