Brain Exercise and Addiction Trial

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.

Conditions

• Cannabis Use Disorder, Moderate
• Cannabis Use Disorder, Severe

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

High Intensity Interval Training

Exercise sessions will commence with an initial 3-week accustomization period whereby training load will increase incrementally from 2 x 45min sessions with effort peaking at 60% VO2 max (week 1) increasing to 3 x 45minute with effort peaking at 80% VO2max (week 3). Participants will transition to the full HIIT protocol for the remaining weeks. The HIIT component will comprise a work-rest ratio of ≥1:1minutes, with alternating exertion epochs at \>80% VO2max and \<60% VO2max. As VO2max is likely to increase as fitness improves toward the end of the 3-month program, adjustments to HIIT will be made by the exercise physiologist based on real-time heart rate monitoring, ensuring greater accuracy in participants achieving their heart rate targets.

BEHAVIORAL

Strength and Resistance Training

Exercise sessions will comprise a combination of strength, coordination and mobility exercises. The strength component will consist of 2-3 sets of resistance exercises at ≤70% of a predicted 1 repetition maximum, targeting all body segments. Heart rate tracking will occur to ensure participants do not exceed 70% v02 (or exceed Lactate Threshold).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Turning Point

  collaborator OTHER

• Monash University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Murat Yucel · Monash University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Max Age

55 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-01-23

Primary Completion

2022-06-10

Completion

2022-11-21

Countries

• Australia

Study Locations