Craving among individuals with stimulant use disorder in residential social model-based treatment - Can exercise help?

Bilal A Salem; Rachel Gonzales-Castaneda; Alfonso Ang; Richard A Rawson; Daniel Dickerson; Joy Chudzynski; Jose Penate; Brett Dolezal; Christopher B Cooper; Larissa J Mooney

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109247

Craving among individuals with stimulant use disorder in residential social model-based treatment - Can exercise help?

Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 Feb 1:231:109247. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109247. Epub 2021 Dec 31.

Affiliations

¹ Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; London Health Sciences Center, Victoria Hospital, Western University, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Department of Psychiatry London, ON, Canada. Electronic address: bilal.salem@lhsc.on.ca.
² Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Psychology Department, Azusa Pacific University, CA, USA.
³ Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁴ Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Vermont Center for Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, USA. Electronic address: rrawson@mednet.ucla.edu.
⁵ Exercise Physiology Research Laboratory, Division of Pulmonary Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
⁶ Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System.

Abstract

Background: In a randomized controlled 8-week trial, we examined the efficacy of aerobic and resistance exercise in reducing craving for methamphetamine (MA) among individuals with MA-use disorder during residential treatment.

Methods: Individuals with MA use disorder (138) who were newly enrolled in residential treatment volunteered for random assignment to either an 8-week exercise intervention (EX) or health education control (HE), with both conditions meeting 3 times weekly; 3 dropped out of the trial, bringing the analysis sample to 135. The majority of participants were male (80%), and 48% were Latino/Hispanic. The mean age of the sample was 31.7 (SD = 6.9) years. Using multivariate mixed models, differences between conditions were examined in: (1) craving for MA, measured by self-reported ratings on a Visual Analog Scale over the 8-week trial and, (2) MA use, measured by self-report and urine drug screens at baseline and 30 and 60 days after discharge from the 8-week study.

Results: Results revealed significantly lower craving scores among the participants in the EX group than those in the HE group over the 8-week trial (median daily craving score for EX = 13.5, for HE = 21.8; p = .009). In addition, participants with less craving during treatment had significantly lower rates of MA use after discharge than participants with high craving measured at 30-days (p = .004) and 60-days post-discharge (p < .001).

Conclusions: Results support the utility of incorporating a structured exercise program for individuals with MA-use disorder to reduce craving and improve MA-use outcomes.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01103531.

Keywords: Craving; Exercise; Methamphetamine; Outcomes.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adult
Aftercare
Amphetamine-Related Disorders* / therapy
Craving
Female
Humans
Male
Methamphetamine*
Patient Discharge
Residential Treatment

Substances

Methamphetamine

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01103531

Grants and funding

R01 DA027633/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States