Alcohol is considered to be the most common exogenous toxins, causing encephalopathy. The defeat of almost all parts of the nervous system should be assigned to the special features of ethanol. Neurophysiological mechanisms of development of substance dependence are based in the stem and limbic structures of the brain that are involved in ensuring the regulation of emotional state, mood, motivation sphere, psychophysical tone of human behavior in general and its adaptation to the environment. Stress or disruption of the normal functioning of these structures can lead to the formation of abstinence syndrome, affective disorders in remission and craving for alcohol. Dopaminergic and opioid (endorphin) system play an important role in the genesis of various mental and motor disorders. In some way alcohol dependence can be regarded as an endorfinodefitsitnoe disease with a pathogenetic point of view. Activating of opioidereal system by trans-cranial electrical stimulation promotes the restoration of disturbed emotional, cognitive and autonomic functions, reduces craving for alcohol and in that way increases the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatment
Shchetinin S.G., Barylnik Yu.B., Lim V.G. Pathogenetic aspects of alcoholic encephalopathy treatment // Saratov Journal of Medical Scientific Research, Vol. 6, Issue 4, 2010, pp. 796-799

The method of transcranial electrostimulation (TES) was used for treating patients with alcoholic encephalopathy against the background of the basic treatment, which includes nootropics, normotimics, soporifics, over-all strengthening therapy and other devices. The course of treatment consisted of 10 daily procedures lasting for 30 minutes. The TES influence was evaluated according to the clinical state, the neurologic status, including EEG (electroencephalogram), the psychometric scales were also used for evaluating the manifestation of depression, anxiety and working memory in comparison with appropriate indices in the control group of patients, who were being treated by the traditional method. TES led to normalization of health state, neurologic status and vegetative innervation, the reduction in pathologic inclination, which corresponded to general improvement of the state of patients, EEG indices and psychometric scales
Barylnik Yu.B., Lim V.G., Shchetinin S.G. Transcranial electrostimulation in patients with alcoholic encephalopathy // Saratov Journal of Medical Scientific Research, Vol. 6, Issue 3, 2010, pp. 625-628