A study published this year indicates that, unlike the withdrawal process with most other addictive substances, going through withdrawal from methamphetamines does not reverse the brain's dependence on the drug. This finding explains why cravings for methamphetamines persist for far longer than with other addictive substances.

Researchers from the University of Washington found that repeatedly stimulating a rodent's brain with methamphetamine depressed certain parts of the brain, and that this could only be reversed by reintroducing the drug.

Dr. Nigel Bamford, UW assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics and a physician at Seattle Children's Hospital, commented,

"What we found is that the repeated use of methamphetamine causes adaptations in the brain, and that only re-introducing the drug can reverse that. ... We think these changes in the brain may account for at least some of the physiological components of meth addiction."

(Source: ScienceDaily.com)

Labels: addiction, methamphetamines