Oaks Centre Clinical Trial in Elliot Lake to Begin using the NorDocs Technologies SmartStim™ tDCS

Clinical Trial Will Determine Whether tDCS is an Effective
Treatment for Opiod Addiction

Ottawa, Ontario—December 3, 2012—NorDocs Technologies announced the launch of a clinical trial today at the Oaks Centre in Elliot Lake, Ontario. This clinical trial will focus on opioid dependence using the SmartStim™  transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) device developed by NorDocs.

“We are pleased to announce our collaboration with the Oaks Centre,” said Stanley Shapiro, MD, Co-Founder and CEO, NorDocs Technologies. “Restoring cognitive function is an essential part of the treatment and rehabilitation of addiction patients. This study will explore whether tDCS improves cognition, facilitates more rational decision making, or results in reduced drug cravings and relapse.”

This double-blind randomized controlled opioid dependence trial, led by Brian Dressler, MD, Vice President Medical Research, NorDocs Technologies, will take place at the Oaks Centre at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Elliot Lake and will include 60 opioid-dependent participants. Half of the participants will receive treatments with SmartStim tDCS over a 2-week period and the other half will receive sham tDCS.  The objective of the study is to determine if SmartStim tDCS changes opioid abstinence, cognition, and cravings.

“Any new treatment option in the field of addiction is a big breakthrough. We expect that this study will present a clearer picture of the effects of tDCS on opioid addiction,” said Ralph Regis, Director of the Oaks Centre.

The study is currently underway and is estimated to be completed by October 2013.

About NorDocs: NorDocs Technologies was founded in 2010 by addiction medicine physicians with the purpose of finding a better way to address key challenges in the field of addiction. The company offers a complete suite of services to addiction clinics with the goal to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the long-term costs of care for addiction therapy. NorDocs is located in Sudbury, Ontario with R&D in Ottawa, Ontario, and is currently developing technologies for the assessment and treatment of addiction, beginning with nicotine and narcotic addictions.

To learn more about NorDocs Technologies please visit www.NorDocs.com

About the Oaks Centre: The Oaks Centre is an accredited treatment facility operated by St. Joseph’s General Hospital. It comprises two services: withdrawal management and residential treatment programs. The Oaks Centre is a co-ed facility and is handicapped accessible. Patients at both of the service centres at The Oaks Centre receive professional support from a certified medical addiction specialist. The Oaks Centre has a primary mission of offering non-medical crisis intervention, detoxification, and stabilization to Ontario residents 16 years of age and older.

 

Press contact:

Steven Tover

VP Business Development, NorDocs Technologies

Inquiries by email: steve@nordocs.com

Inquiries by phone: 613-454-1228 ext 2