Exploring the potential of the metaverse medical paradigm in drug addiction treatment: a preliminary discussion and future prospects

Drug addiction is a chronic and recurrent encephalopathy characterised by impulsive behaviour, spiritual cravings, psychological distortion and physical damage.1 According to the role of molecular biology mechanisms on the central nervous system, addictive substances can be classified as inhibitors (eg, opioids, etc), stimulants (eg, methamphetamine (MA), nicotine, cocaine, etc) and hallucinogens (eg, cannabis, etc).1 As published by the World Drug Report 2022, over 284 million individuals aged 15–64 worldwide have reportedly abused drugs in the past 12 months, emphasising the international challenge of effective detox treatment. The detoxification process consists of three phases: physiological recovery for the remission of withdrawal symptoms, psychological rehabilitation for the elimination of mental dependence, and social function restoration for the return to life, with the second phase being the most significant challenge. A sustained high level of drug craving often leads to unsuccessful psychological rehabilitation. Current methods of psychological intervention generally include compulsory detention management, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and deep brain stimulation (DBS).2 However, often drug cravings are not effectively controlled.3 For example, the relapse rate of individuals addicted to opioid drugs like heroin could exceed 95% within 6 months post-detox treatment.4 Therefore, there is an urgent need to consider treatment effects during psychological rehabilitation. The integration of multiple schemes and novel interventions for drug treatment is emerging as a key research topic in this field. In recent years, digital health has rapidly advanced, with a focus on improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare services, including diagnosis, monitoring, treatment and data management, through digital information communication. Metaverse, also known as the three-dimensional internet, is a broader concept involving virtual multidimensional spaces that foster social interactions, user-generated content and a persistent environment across various domains, such as economy, ecology and the medical industry. Metaverse is a …