Adding exercise to health education helps treat addiction, say UCLA researchers

Can you physically outrun an addiction? Of course not. But a new study by UCLA researchers found that exercise, when combined with traditional behavioral therapy, helped people who were addicted to methamphetamine. The study, involving 19 people, showed that those who included walking or jogging along with resistance training in their treatment had a 15 percent increase in the number of dopamine receptors in the brain. The dopamine system is directly impacted by meth use; restoring these receptors reduces people’s craving for the drug. The study was published online by the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. Methamphetamine is a powerful, addictive drug that causes the brain to release a spike of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, creating a high that can last up to six hours. Dopamine allows cells to communicate, but it also has a role in responding to external stimuli — including drugs — providing sensations of pleasure and satisfaction. With repeated meth use, the dopamine system is suppressed, and the number of dopamine receptors is reduced. With treatment, these receptors can recover over time, but the rate of recovery varies widely, and some deficits last well beyond the time people stop using drugs. In addition, other studies have suggested that chronic meth use can cause long-lasting problems in brain function that may affect judgment and self-control. The study, which was based on earlier studies of animals, was led by Edythe London, professor of psychiatry in the Seme...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news