Volunteers Wanted: Help Researchers Uncover the Link Between Methamphetamine Use and Parkinson’s Disease
The hope is the information gathered can assist in providing those suffering from Parkinson’s disease the appropriate current and future health care.
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University of South Australia researchers are leading a new study into the connection between methamphetamine use and Parkinson’s disease. The study will not only further understanding of potential links between the drug and disease, but also raise awareness about the long-term impacts and health risks of methamphetamine use.
Found in powder, paste, and crystal form, methamphetamine is one of Australia’s most widely used and addictive illicit drugs.
Global reporting shows that Australia has one of the highest rates of methamphetamine use in the world, and a 2024 national survey estimates that 1.6 million Australians have used methamphetamine at some stage of their life – with more than 200,000 people having used it within the past year.
Like many other addictive drugs, methamphetamine has both short-term and long-term effects on the body and behaviour. Most people can list one or more of the negative short-term effects, such as aggression, confusion, hallucinations, and paranoia. However, there is less awareness and knowledge about the long-term implications of taking methamphetamine - effects that persist for weeks, months, or even years after last using the drug.
It is these long-lasting effects that Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the University of South Australia, Gabrielle Todd and her team are most interested in.
“There are several known long-lasting effects of methamphetamine on the brain and nervous system, including, for example: increased risk of stroke, Parkinson’s disease, depression and other mental health disorders, and problems with concentration, memory, and control of movement,” says Gabrielle. The increased risk of Parkinson’s disease, and movement and brain changes that resemble Parkinson’s disease, have been observed in people that have used methamphetamine as little as five times in total.
Parkinson’s disease is an incurable neurological condition that causes profound abnormalities in movement and a range of other body functions such as sleep, control of organ function, mental health, memory and cognition. Parkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease in Australia, with 50 Australians diagnosed with the disease every day. The disease significantly reduces quality of life and affects most aspects of daily living.
That’s why Gabrielle and her team’s latest research study is attempting to better understand the connection between methamphetamine and Parkinson’s disease.
Gabrielle has been studying the human brain for more than two decades. Her specific interest in methamphetamine began after reading that scientists used to give methamphetamine to rats to study the processes that underlie Parkinson’s disease.
“If methamphetamine is so good at causing Parkinson's-like changes in rats,” Gabrielle asked, “then what's it doing to humans who use the drug?”
That’s the question Gabrielle and her expert team are currently trying to answer, and are seeking volunteers willing to participate in the study. “In this study, we're investigating if people who have used methamphetamine experience changes in body function that overlap with people who are living with Parkinson's disease,” Gabrielle says.
Gabrielle and her PhD student Elio Arruzza are looking for participants aged between 18 to 50 years who have a past or current history of methamphetamine use. Participants are asked to complete a series of questionnaires about their health and drug history and to undertake non-invasive and painless tests and scans on heart and brain functions.
The study is set up to protect participant’s privacy and to make sure the researchers interpret the results found in a fair and impartial way. Each participant is assigned a special code, and all data is linked to that code and not their name. All information is kept confidential – but participants can always request access to their own information.
Anyone keen to take part can read more about what the study involves and who to contact here. Participants will be reimbursed $30-$50 for their time depending on the number of appointments they complete.
Similar to her previous work, Gabrielle and her team hope the results gathered can help paint a clearer picture of the connection between the use of methamphetamine and the risk of Parkinson’s disease: information that is important in providing affected people with appropriate current and future health care.
The research findings aren’t just used for scientific and medical purposes. Gabrielle and her team have also translated their previous research findings into a public health campaign called Don’t Let Meth Take Hold. This campaign was created to raise awareness and knowledge about the long-lasting effects of methamphetamine on health, with a particular focus on movement and brain regions that control movement.
Greater awareness is important because the results of an anonymous survey of 250 Australian young adults revealed that 47% of those surveyed didn’t know that there were any long-lasting consequences of methamphetamine on the body.
Research studies like this, alongside public health campaigns provided by health and government organisations, are important to bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and public health education. As we learn more about the long-term health outcomes, we may see a decrease in the use of methamphetamine as people are able to make more informed decisions about their health.
Those interested in taking part in this research study can read more about the study, who to speak with and how to apply here.
