New UCLA SARx study on genetics of meth treatment response released

UCLA SARx researchers performed an exploratory study examining variations in several genes related to brain dopamine and reward systems and success in treatment for methamphetamine dependence. The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology this month. A variant in the gene for Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) was associated with success in quitting methamphetamine in Caucasian but not Hispanic participants. Also, a variant in the gene for COMT, an enzyme that metabolizes dopamine in the brain, was associated with response to the medication modafinil for methamphetamine dependence, but only in Hispanics. These results are exciting but are highly exploratory and preliminary. They may be useful in guiding future research studies that examine the role of these genes in success in quitting methamphetamine.