Lidocaine is a generic drug also known as lidocaine hydrochloride and available under the brand name, Xycloaine. As lidocaine has cardiac antiarrhythmic properties, it is generally used as a local anesthetic. Lidocaine is often used for numbing the gums when a dentist needs to work on a patient’s teeth. More recently, another discovery indicates lidocaine may be useful in other ways.

Lidocaine has the ability to shut off insula, or the brain nucleus that is responsible for controlling an addiction to drugs. Scientists believe the ability to control or target insula could hold the key to ending drug addiction for many. Insula plays an important role in the brain as it controls the body’s heart rate, blood sugar, hunger, cravings and a number of other functions. It is believed that an impaired insula can eradicate addiction.

In a study of lab rats, amphetamines were given to the rats anytime they entered a well-lit area. This was somewhat of a contradiction for the rats, rodents who tend to love the dark. In this process, the rats quickly became addicted to the amphetamines and returned repeatedly to the same location to receive a new dose.
At this point in the study process, some of the addicted rats were given shots of lidocaine into the insula. As lidocaine is known to impair the signals transmitting between the brain cells, it was effective in changing the behavior of the addicted rats.

Before they received the shots – and after they had developed the addiction – many of the rats were spending as much as 25 percent of their time in the well-lit areas, seeking their next hit. After receiving the lidocaine, that group of addicted rats spent less than 10 percent in the well-lit area.

One scientist involved in the study believes that lidocaine could provide the key for switching off memories related to the experience of taking the drug. The challenge is that right now, giving lidocaine to humans presents considerable risk as infection could develop and potential changes in heart rate could be life threatening. No matter how addicted the individual, injecting something into the brain is still a risk.

The finding is significant nonetheless. And, while lidocaine delivers only a short lasting effect (injected rats only forgot about the drug for about 20 minutes), there is still potential for further development in this area. Further studies are suggested, although developing a process for interrupting multiple interactions between a vast array of brain regions presents considerable challenge.

Until lidocaine can be used through other methods, it will likely continue to be the anesthetic of choice in the dentist’s office.