MORGANTOWN, W.Va. The work of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and Director Dr. Ali Rezai to help people suffering from Alzheimers disease and substance abuse disorder was the focus of the news magazine 60 Minutes on CBS Sunday evening.

Rezai, who was featured in two segments, said the addiction treatment uses a focused ultrasound on a specific area of the brain. He compared the effect of the ultrasound beam to rebooting the computer at home or work, or in this case, resetting the brain to remove cravings that allow the patient to focus on treatment and reduce detractors.

We are resetting the brain and allowing people more control, Rezai said during an appearance on MetroNews Talkline. Cutting the cravings and reducing them so people are not being driven by the next fix or the next drink because the cravings are down.

The process targets the area of the brain associated with addiction that malfunctions electronically and chemically, non-invasively. The procedure could become a groundbreaking treatment for many other disorders as well.

For addictions of all kindssubstances, alcohol, drugs, Rezai said. Its even for behavioral addictionseating disorders, gambling, or social media addiction.

Rezai said initial results suggest the treatments can give more control to the patient going through addiction treatment by reducing cravings. The patients are then more focused on the next aspect of recovery and growth.

The initial results are very encouraging in reducing cravings, drug intake, and even making people who have suffered for years and decades with addiction become abstinent, Rzai said.

The goal is to make this treatment available to more people, possibly in an out-patient setting. But, he described how the treatment is currently administered.

You come in, lay down in the MRI, a helmet goes on your head, and the ultrasound beam is delivered to the part of the brain involving addiction, then you get off the table and go home, Rezai said. Our goal is to work harder, do more research, and get more clinical trials.

For now, the treatment is reserved for those who have continued to suffer from addiction and have failed over a long period of time.

People who have tried in-patient treatment, residential treatment, and out-patient treatments and are taking medications and behavioral therapy are still failing, Rezai said. Even people who have overdosed or have had multiple overdoses, so its for people with severe addiction disorders.

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Addiction treatment pioneered by WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute featured on '60 Minutes' - West Virginia MetroNews