Brain Exercise and Addiction Trial
- Conditions
- Cannabis Use Disorder, SevereCannabis Use Disorder, Moderate
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Strength and Resistance TrainingBehavioral: High Intensity Interval Training
- Registration Number
- NCT04902092
- Lead Sponsor
- Monash University
- Brief Summary
Heavy cannabis use is associated with substantive learning and memory impairments and elevated risk of psychopathology. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that the hippocampus, centrally implicated in these processes, is particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of prolonged exposure to cannabis. This deterioration of hippocampal structure, function, and biochemistry can be reversed, but this requires two or more years of abstinence from cannabis. However, most heavy cannabis users find it extremely difficult to maintain abstinence over extended periods and current treatments for cannabis use disorders are inadequate. There is a pressing clinical need for an intervention that rapidly accelerates hippocampal recovery, ameliorates the associated cognitive impairments and mental health symptoms, and leads to improved treatment outcomes. One promising candidate is physical exercise. In addition to the well-known physical health benefits, regular exercise also has a potent positive effect on brain health. The current study will investitive the capacity of two different neuroscientifically-informed 12-week exercise programs can restore brain health for heavy long term cannabis users.
- Detailed Description
Heavy cannabis use is associated with substantive learning and memory impairments and elevated risk of psychopathology. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that the hippocampus, centrally implicated in these processes, is particularly vulnerable to the deleterious effects of prolonged exposure to cannabis. This deterioration of hippocampal structure, function, and biochemistry can be reversed, but this requires two or more years of abstinence from cannabis. However, most heavy cannabis users find it extremely difficult to maintain abstinence over extended periods and current treatments for cannabis use disorders are inadequate. There is a pressing clinical need for an intervention that rapidly accelerates hippocampal recovery, ameliorates the associated cognitive impairments and mental health symptoms, and leads to improved treatment outcomes. One promising candidate is physical exercise. In addition to the well-known physical health benefits, regular exercise also has a potent positive effect on brain health and can increase the size of the hippocampus. It's not yet known how much or what kind of exercise produces the best results. This study has been designed to compare the effects of two different exercise programs.
1. 12 weeks of regular HIIT exercise
2. 12 weeks of regular strength training
The research team are investigating whether the programs have a positive impact on brain health and, if they do, whether one is more effective than the other. The research team will also measure whether engaging in either program leads to a reduction in cannabis consumption, and improvements in thinking skills, mental health, and general wellbeing.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 65
- Aged 20-55 years
- Voluntary and able to provide informed consent
- Fluent in English
- Current moderate - severe cannabis use disorder
- Major history of cannabis use (i.e. ≥3 days per week on average for ≥4 of the past 6 years)
- Capacity to tolerate physical exercise according to 'Fitness to Exercise'
- Have a history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, musculoskeletal injury or other condition that would preclude safe engagement in VO2 max fitness testing and/or regular physical exercise
- Severe claustrophobia, non-MR compatible metallic implant, or other contraindication to MRI scanning
- Lifetime history of significant neurological illness, or moderate - severe brain injury,
- Current major unstable medical illness or chronic pain condition
- Lifetime history of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, OCD, PTSD, bipolar disorder
- Current significant depression or anxiety that precludes ability to reliably engage in the exercise program
- Current moderate - severe substance use disorder for substances other than cannabis (excluding nicotine)
- Currently pregnant or lactating
- Shift work employment schedule within the prior 6-months
- Have engaged in ≥5 sessions of HITT or resistance training within the past 12-months
- History of treatment with antipsychotic medications
- Current participation in psychosocial treatment for substance use disorder
- Other psychoactive medications or psychosocial treatments will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Where a current psychoactive medication is deemed acceptable, both dose and type must have been stable for a minimum of four weeks prior to baseline assessment, and remain stable throughout the 12-week exercise phase of the study.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Low Intensity Physical Training Strength and Resistance Training 12- week, 36 session, strength-focussed physical exercise program delivered by an accredited exercise physiologist High Intensity Physical Training High Intensity Interval Training 12-week, 36 session, cardiorespiratory-focussed physical exercise program delivered by an accredited exercise physiologist
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in hippocampal integrity Baseline (0 months), post (3 months) Composite score derived from three hippocampal health indices: volume (structural MRI), connectivity (DTI), neuronal health (MRS NAA) calculated as described in Yucel et al (2016), doi:10.1038/tp.2015.201.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Change in anxiety symptoms Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) StateTrait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; range = 20 to 80, higher scores indicate greater anxiety)
Change in resilience Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Connor David Resilience Scale (CDRS; range = 0-100 higher scores indicate higher resilience)
Change in sleep quality Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; range = 0 to 21 higher scores indicate worse sleep quality)
Change in associative memory Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Paired Associates Learning Task (PAL)
Change in memory Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT)
Change in cannabis dependence Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS; range = 0-15 higher scores indicate higher dependence
Change in quality of life Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Quality of Life and Satisfaction Questionnaire - Short Form (QOL-SF; range = 70 higher scores indicate greater life satisfaction and enjoyment)
Change in cardiorespiratory fitness Baseline (0 months), post (3 months) VO2 max
Change in cannabis use Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Time line follow back
Change in cannabis craving Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Penn Craving Scale (PCS; range = 0 - 30 higher scores indicate greater craving)
Change in coping skills Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Perceived Stress Scale (10 item; range = 0 - 40 higher scores indicate greater stress)
Change in depression symptoms Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomology (QUIDS; range = 0 - 27 higher scores indicate greater depression symptom severity)
Change in mental wellbeing Baseline (0 months), post (3 months), follow up (6 months) Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS; range = 14-70 higher scores indicate increased mental well being)
Change in visual memory Baseline (0 months), post (3 months) Figural Memory Tasks
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Monash University, BrainPark
🇦🇺Melbourne, Victoria, Australia