Chapter Ten - Exercise and substance abuse

Publication date: 2019Source: International Review of Neurobiology, Volume 147Author(s): Li Zhang, Ti-Fei YuanAbstractExercise intervention has long been used as one adjunctive treatment for drug abuse. Both animal studies and human trials suggest that exercise training effectively prevents addiction formation, suppresses drug-seeking behaviors, and ceases addictions. Moreover, exercise improves both mental and cognitive deficits that commonly occur during drug withdrawal. Those observations are supported by neurobiological studies in which exercise training modulates several neural networks including the dopaminergic reward system, and regulates neurogenesis and spinogenesis that affect cognitive behaviors and mental health. In sum, exercise training is a safe and effective way to relieve substance abuse, although both intervention guideline and biomarkers warrants further investigation.
Source: International Review of Neurobiology - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research