A new University of Auckland study has found "significant differences" in the brains of those using methamphetamine, compared with a control group of non-users.
The research was based at the not-for-profit Mātai Medical Research Institute in Gisborne.
It used MRI scans to study the brains of 13 people who had used methamphetamine for an average of 15 years and had recently stopped using the drug.
The paper's lead author, neuroscience PhD student Ben Bristow, says they found reduced volume of the cortex, the outer layer of grey matter, across six brain regions in meth users. The longer people had used the drug, the more shrinkage was seen across multiple areas of the brain.
It also showed meth users had a "significantly reduced volume" in the front of the brain, which was described as "the decision-making hub".
Bristow said this area is called the right superior frontal cortex and it's also responsible for impulse control and inhibition.
"Meth is such a powerful drug. The changes it causes in the brain affecting motivation, reward processing and impulse control make it particularly challenging to abstain."
Meth users also had less volume in two parts of the brain which are responsible for visual processing. This enables us to recognise shapes and objects.
Bristow said this region of the brain is called the occiptal cortex.
"We're very visual animals, so a lot of the back of the brain is taken up by visual processing."
A cognitive test was used to assess planning and problem-solving skills, which showed meth users on average took longer to formulate and carry out actions.
They had fewer correct answers on their attempt to solve a problem, and had more attempts to answer questions correctly.
Meth users also had impaired heart health, with more thickening of the heart walls than non-users.
Bristow said the differences found in the brains and hearts of meth users could reflect drug-related effects, but some differences could pre-date meth use – potentially shaped by factors such as trauma, neurological conditions, or previous head injuries and illnesses.
“For example, studies have shown ADHD is more common among people with meth addiction. ADHD involves dopamine dysfunction, while meth floods the brain with dopamine.
"Just as methadone is used for opioid addiction, stimulant medication is showing promise in helping with both meth withdrawal and ADHD symptoms,” he said.
University of Auckland said the paper offered a snapshot of the brains of people who had been taking the drug daily or weekly, within 30 days of stopping the drug.
The next phase of the project – named the Hīkoi programme – aims to look at brain and heart recovery over the longer-term during abstinence, with multifaceted treatment and support provided to participants. It will analyse MRI scans of those recovering over 12 months.
It is expected to reveal more about the recovery of meth users, and whether their brains begin to recover as they abstain from the drug for a year.
Mātai senior research fellow Dr Maryam Tayebi said early results suggested some brain changes may begin to improve within nine months after stopping meth use.
"Though this can differ from person to person," Tayebi said.
How meth damages the brain
Bristow said methamphetamine damages the brain through a process called "neurotoxic cascades", which is when the brain is "over-worked" and "doesn't get a break".
"There's a massive release of dopamine, which is not recycled normally. Eventually, that dopamine is broken down into harmful molecules."
Bristow’s interest in researching the impacts of meth on the brain was fuelled by growing up in Gisborne, which has one of the worst rates of P addiction in New Zealand.
“Even as I went through school, I saw people dropping out and becoming tangled up with meth.
“Doing this research fills my cup. You see people come through, and as they abstain, they change.
“When you see them after a year being clean, it’s inspiring, it’s heartwarming.”
The ultimate goal of the team was to build a model which boosts people's chances of beating meth addiction through a combination of advanced MRI assessment, psychiatric care including stimulant medication, mātauranga Māori, and reconnecting participants with their cultural identity.
The Hīkoi programme has been funded by the Fred Lewis Foundation. Its community arm is led by Māori researcher Wendy Mohi, while neuropsychiatry is led by Dr Gil Newburn, both from the Mātai Institute.
Associate professor Miriam Scadeng said the Mātai team aimed to boost the chances of people kicking meth addiction by better understanding how the drug affects their brain and heart and what occurs in these organs as they recover.
Therapies could then be developed to target those changes.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including community pushback against a new development, and charges looming for a petrol giant. (Source: 1News)
SHARE ME