The Benefits of High Intensity Exercise on the Brain of a Drug Abuser

Chronic drug abuse has been shown to cause dysfunctions on the frontal lobe and affect cognition, cardiac autonomic control and psychosocial aspects. Despite physical exercise has been shown to improve cerebral functioning, the effects of a high intensity exercise training program needs to be further explored in a drug abuse condition. The patient was a 32-year-old male who has been an alcohol and crack/cocaine user for 20 years. The high intensity exercise training protocol consisted of four 30-second “all-out” bouts performed three times per week during four weeks. The participant had electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, cognition, cardiac autonomic control and psychosocial questionnaires evaluated before and after high intensity exercise training. Prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation during an incremental running exercise test was also recorded. EEG topographical analysis revealed greater PFC activation during the cognitive test. Performance on the cognitive test was enhanced (l number of total errors and reaction time). Parasympathetic cardiac indices, including RMSSD, SDNN, Pnn50% and HF power increased by 77.4%, 83.3%, 57.7% and 293.2%, respectively. Sleep quality increased 23% and anxiety levels decreased 52.6%. Psychological and social domains increased 5.3% and 13.7%, respectively. In addition, incremental treadmill running time increased 12.5% and PFC oxyhemoglobin increased 228.2% at the beginning of the treadmill test, 305.4% at the middle and 359.4% at the end of the test. Thus, high intensity exercise training improved PFC functioning, cardiac autonomic control and psychological parameters. These results might indicate high intensity exercise as an alternative and non-pharmacological tool to help the rehabilitation of a drug abuser.