Exercise Could Help Fight Drug Addiction
https://neurosciencenews.com/exercise-drug-addiction-10197/
How Exercise Could Help Fight Drug Addiction
Summary:
One of the largest proponents and triggers when it comes to drug addiction is the environment in which you would have normally administered the drugs. Returning to such a location has been shown to make resisting the drugs harder. A new study using mice has been used to show that when exercise is introduced to mice who have been injected with cocaine, that regular exercise on a wheel altered the release of peptides in their brain. The mice that had been injected with cocaine were split into two groups, one that would exercise on a wheel regularly, and another group that remained sedentary. The study showed that the mice who exercised regularly would possibly show signs of overcoming in some respects, their cocaine addiction. Repeated exercise would help speed up the extinction of their preference for a place where they would be given the cocaine.
Reflection:
The content and findings of this study can directly relate to our in class discussions. While in class, we discussed that individuals have a preference for certain places to inject drugs or even drink their morning coffee. In this study, they were testing to see if they could make the conditioned preference for the environment in which they associated with the cocaine, extinct. With their testing of the peptide releases from the amygdala and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus - they found that there are a very specific set of bio markers that can be linked to exercise in the hippocampus and the amygdala. In class, we were able to reflect on the links that both of those structures played in addiction. And we also see other evidence of why exercise is so powerful through the Brain Rules book. With evidence of all that it can be for our physical and mental health, it would not be off base to assume that it could play in important role in addiction and more importantly - curbing addiction. I think that medical professionals should take into advisement the role that exercise has on the brain and try to implement more programs that facilitate exercise into rehabilitiation programs in and effort to help addicts resist relapsing for good.
How Exercise Could Help Fight Drug Addiction
Summary:
One of the largest proponents and triggers when it comes to drug addiction is the environment in which you would have normally administered the drugs. Returning to such a location has been shown to make resisting the drugs harder. A new study using mice has been used to show that when exercise is introduced to mice who have been injected with cocaine, that regular exercise on a wheel altered the release of peptides in their brain. The mice that had been injected with cocaine were split into two groups, one that would exercise on a wheel regularly, and another group that remained sedentary. The study showed that the mice who exercised regularly would possibly show signs of overcoming in some respects, their cocaine addiction. Repeated exercise would help speed up the extinction of their preference for a place where they would be given the cocaine.
Reflection:
The content and findings of this study can directly relate to our in class discussions. While in class, we discussed that individuals have a preference for certain places to inject drugs or even drink their morning coffee. In this study, they were testing to see if they could make the conditioned preference for the environment in which they associated with the cocaine, extinct. With their testing of the peptide releases from the amygdala and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus - they found that there are a very specific set of bio markers that can be linked to exercise in the hippocampus and the amygdala. In class, we were able to reflect on the links that both of those structures played in addiction. And we also see other evidence of why exercise is so powerful through the Brain Rules book. With evidence of all that it can be for our physical and mental health, it would not be off base to assume that it could play in important role in addiction and more importantly - curbing addiction. I think that medical professionals should take into advisement the role that exercise has on the brain and try to implement more programs that facilitate exercise into rehabilitiation programs in and effort to help addicts resist relapsing for good.
I agree that exercise is so powerful in everyone's life but especially in those suffering from an addiction. I have a friend who is overcoming an addiction that began turning their life around once exercise was incorporated into their daily routine. Like you said the amygdala and the hippocampus are effected by exercise.
ReplyDeleteThis research is very interesting because it bases the intensity of a drug addiction in the location, rather than in the influences of other people. Also, the idea that mice were injected with cocaine and studied encourages reflection on the in-class mention of rats self-injecting morphine into their ventral tegmental area, inducing their feelings of reward or pleasure. While they were not subject to an exercise-related test, they demonstrated that addiction is inherently rewarding, thus explaining the extreme difficulty in withdrawal. However, many people do not find exercise to be inherently pleasurable; instead it can be perceived as a necessary evil for health purposes. So, in terms of the cost and benefits of withdrawal, exercise might not be as successful as intended for fighting drug addiction, because a majority have no interest in it nor find it unpleasurable.
ReplyDeleteExercise has a lot of biological effects and often times, they're the kinds of effects people focus on, but there also psychological causes to consider that are involved in these effects. In my Psychology of Emotions class we discuss something called the mood-congruent judgment. This is when we make judgments that are congruent with other current emotional states. Therefore, when people exercise, they tend to feel very good about themselves as well as feeling accomplished and in turn will feel that way about other things that way as well especially if their exercise becomes a part of their daily routine. This could help people with addiction as well because it changes their perspective on things that happen to them and the things they do in order to stay clean and sober and it can lead to them constantly feeling more accomplished even for small amounts of progress which is always a very strong motivator. Making judgments based on congruency with mood may not always be a good thing but when it comes to exercise and the following emotional effects, changing ones own perspective to be congruent with accomplishment can lead to making better decisions especially when in recovery.
ReplyDeleteExercise is an essential component when it comes to strengthening brain functioning. As you mentioned, emphasized in the exercise chapter of the Brain Rules book are the peptides and neurotransmitters released during exercise and their effects. One of these effects is that your brain releases dopamine and serotonin while you are exercising, which in turn could potentially decrease your desirability to use drugs. Furthermore, exercise has also been shown to reduce stress. Stress is known to be a trigger for using drugs, as people tend to do so in stressful situations or when they are feeling stressed out. By reducing stress levels through exercise, the desirability to engage in drug use can also be decreased.
ReplyDeleteTo take it another route, in my Behavior Modification course, we learned that a lot of the time in order to reduce the behavior of a drug user from using, they implement what is referred to as Incompatible Behaviors. These are behaviors that make it not possible for the behavior (e.g., drug using) to occur. Exercise would be an example of this as when you are exercising, you cannot use drugs.
Taylor Marcus
ReplyDeleteThis article is interesting because it says that marijuana has no affect and actually improves the memory for older adults but not for younger ones. It makes sense because marijuana affects ones memory and for a child who isn't fully developed a substance hijacking the neurotransmitters that they need to build can be very detrimental. But as we have learned in class about our memory pathway all parts needs to properly functioning so we can build our memory properly. THC has positive effects on older adults maybe because it helps them focus more. And by that I mean when the brain is impaired by THC information isn't being past from the neurotransmitters. So that older person may be able to concentrate on the present because their minds aren't wondering off.
In Abnormal psychology the exercises will increase the dopamine. Increase or dopamine makes us energetic. This is like a “legal” and natural drug. Also with exercising we increase the sweat glands that will help to take the toxins out of the body system. When we exercise it also takes our mind and thoughts away from the problem because we are concentrated on the task for not dropping something or to lift something up.
ReplyDelete