UF study: Many meth side effects kick in only after stopping
Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 5:24 p.m. Last
Modified: Tuesday, February 19, 2013 at 5:24 p.m. Some of the
negative side effects of taking methamphetamines begin only
after users have stopped taking them, according to a recent
study by University of Florida researchers. A study led by Dr.
Habibeh Khoshbouei, an associate professor of neuroscience and
psychiatry at the UF College of Medicine, showed that mice
withdrawing from methamphetamines had memory loss and a decrease
in neuronal activity two weeks after the withdrawal began -- the
equivalent of one year in humans. The mice did not have the same
symptoms while they were still taking the drugs. “It is very
well established that people who abuse meth show symptoms of
neurodegeneration and psychosis, so long-term meth abuse can
produce all sorts of problems,” Khoshbouei said. Meth induces an
uncontrolled release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible
for pleasure. “It exposes the br