MISSOULA -- A Missoula-based researcher is recruiting participants for a study on whether a popular workout supplement can be used to treat methamphetamine dependence.
“Unfortunately, meth continues to be a rising problem in our country, particularly in Montana,” Hellem said. “Individuals using meth often have co-occurring mood disorders that also need to be targeted in order to break the cycle. Individuals that have depression might self-medicate with methamphetamine, and methamphetamine is known to cause depression and anxiety, so it’s a cycle that’s hard to break. We hope to discover a treatment that will target mood symptoms and hopefully reduce methamphetamine use.”
Hellem said people with symptoms of depression -- including low mood, low energy, overeating and inability to concentrate -- turn to meth because it is an attractive option. Methamphetamine increases energy, decreases need for sleep and decreases appetite.
“But methamphetamine use results in feelings of depression. So, the bi-directional relationship between depression and methamphetamine use makes treating methamphetamine dependence challenging,” she said.
During her graduate studies at the University of Utah, Hellem worked in a neuro-imaging research lab with Dr. Perry Renshaw, who has made groundbreaking progress in intervention research using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hellem said MRS is similar to an magnetic resonance imaging, but uses different equipment to identify changes in brain chemistry that are associated with mood and substance abuse disorders.
Renshaw, Hellem and other colleagues discovered deficiencies in brain cellular processes that led them to hypothesize that the nutritional supplement creatine – which is used by athletes to improve energy and stamina – would also help drug users reduce depression and anxiety, and ultimately drug use.
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