Australian researchers make world-first link between short-term meth use and Parkinson’s disease
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Australian researchers link short-term meth use to Parkinson’s disease for the first time in the world
- Adelaide researchers have discovered a link between meth use and Parkinson’s
- The world’s first study was led by Uni of SA associate professor Gabrielle Todd
- Dr Todd found that meth causes brain changes and movement problems
- It has led the state government to launch a campaign about the dangers of meth use
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Australian researchers have discovered a link between short-term methamphetamine use and Parkinson’s disease in a first study in the world.
The research into the link was led by Associate Professor Gabrielle Todd of the University of South Australia.
She found that taking meth can cause lifelong changes in parts of the brain that control movement, and consuming the drug “just five times” can have lasting effects on the brain.
“Using methamphetamine, even just a few times, can lead to long-lasting effects on the body and it’s important to raise awareness of this in the community,” she said. ABC news.
‘Parts of the brain responsible for movement are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of methamphetamine.’
She said that taking meth may also increase the risk of stroke and affect heart and kidney health.
World’s first study has found a link between short-term meth use and Parkinson’s disease (stock image)
The study was led by Gabrielle Todd, associate professor of the University of South Australia (pictured)
The study of Dr. Todd was the first to find a link between methamphetamine use and Parkinson’s disease in humans.
“Methamphetamine is a drug that damages certain neurons in the brain, and these neurons are the same set of neurons that are damaged by Parkinson’s disease,” she said.
‘Methamphetamine is actually so good at damaging these neurons that scientists used that drug as an animal model for Parkinson’s.
“There is a very clear scientific link between the drug’s effects on those neurons and there is a lot of other clinical and epidemiological data to support that link as well.”
The association was previously established only in animals.
The investigation led the South Australian government to launch a ‘Don’t Let Meth Take Hold’ advertising campaign to educate people about the long-term effects of methamphetamine use.
South Australian NGO The Hospital Research group, which supports medical and health research, has spent $100,000 on the campaign.
‘Don’t Let Meth Take Hold’ will primarily target teens and young people who are the primary users of methamphetamine compared to the rest of the Australian population.
Advertisements appear on social media, online games and traditional forms of media.
There will also be 20,000 advertisements on pizza boxes.
The research of Dr. Todd has led the state government to launch an ad campaign to educate South Australians about the dangers of taking methamphetamine
Australians are the heaviest users of meth in the world compared to those living in 24 other countries
Australians are the heaviest users of methamphetamine in the world compared to those living in 24 other countries.
Australia recorded the highest per capita consumption of the illicit drug among other Asian, European and Oceanian countries in the latest report from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.
The drug was most popular in Perth for use in the capital, while those in regional NSW used the drug more than any other rural area.
The results were sampled from 13 million Australians and compared from December 2021 to February this year before being analyzed by the National Wastewater Medicines Monitoring Programme.