People who use the drug methamphetamine alter their brain’s structure so it may not work as well as it should, US researchers believe. Methamphetamine users had bigger brain areas involved in attention, motivation and the control of movement. They also fared worse in tests of brain function, the University of California, San Diego team found. If the individual was HIV-positive the impairment was even worse, the American Journal of Psychiatry study found. However, in those individuals, the volume of certain areas of the brain appeared to shrink, rather than increase. The brain regions affected by HIV are those that help with higher thought, reasoning, memory and learning. The researchers studied 103 adults - some who were HIV positive and some who were HIV negative, and who did or did not use methamphetamine, also known as “meth” or “crystal”. The drug is a powerful central nervous system stimulant which increases energy and alertness and decreases appetite.
