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THE EDUCATOR - Summer 2004

Ex-Meth Abusers Show Some
Reversal in Brain Damage

By Amy Norton

Methamphetamine addicts who manage to stay clean for a year may have a partial recovery from the drug’s effects on the brain, a small study suggests.

Researchers found that former meth abusers showed improved glucose metabolism in a brain region called the thalamus after staying off the drug for 12 to 17 months. Metabolism of glucose, or sugar, is a marker of brain cell activity, and the increased metabolism suggests improved functioning in some brain cells.

And, in fact, the revved up brain metabolism was accompanied by better scores on some tests of brain function, according to findings published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

There was, however, no evidence of improved metabolism in a brain region called the striatum — suggesting, researchers say, that some meth-induced brain changes are long lasting.

The findings offer both good and bad news, according to Dr. Gene-Jack Wang of the Brookhaven National Laboratory (news - web sites) in Upton, New York.

Wang, who led the study, told Reuters Health that the partial reversal in brain damage should be encouraging to recovering meth abusers.
On the other hand, he said, the fact that recovery from other brain effects may take a long time should serve as a warning of the drug’s dangers.

Methamphetamine is an addictive stimulant drug that can be snorted, smoked, injected or swallowed. It produces its high by triggering a massive release of the chemical dopamine in the brain. Over time, this damages the brain cells that produce dopamine, a key “messenger” that transmits signals between cells.

“This drug is really toxic,” said Wang, noting that methamphetamine appears more harmful to the brain than other addictive drugs such as cocaine.

Just how long meth-induced brain damage might last remains unclear. To investigate, Wang’s team used PET scans to measure brain metabolism in 13 people treated for meth dependence who had managed to stay drug- free for a relatively long period. Five were scanned after staying clean for about three months, then again after prolonged abstinence 14 months, on average. The rest were scanned only after prolonged abstinence.

Meth users who were scanned twice showed improved metabolism in the thalamus during the second scan. They also performed better on some, but not all, tests of coordination and memory, according to the report.
No such improvements were seen in metabolism in the striatum and, as a group, meth users showed lower striatal metabolism than did 11 non-drug users scanned for comparison.

Wang and his colleagues speculate that this brain effect might account for some of the lasting psychological problems recovering meth abusers often suffer, including listlessness and an inability to take pleasure in the things they once enjoyed.

As an added example of the danger of methamphetamine, Wang pointed out that the five study participants who were scanned twice were originally part of a study group of 12 people treated for meth dependence. These five were the only ones able to stay drug-free for the second scan.

SOURCE: American Journal of Psychiatry, February 2004, www.dpna.org