How Long Does It Take For Dopamine Receptors To Recover?

In this article, we will take a close look at the recovery time of dopamine receptors after addiction. We will analyze the factors that influence this recovery time, including age, type of dopamine, receptor, and the specific characteristics of the ligand interacting with the receptor. We will also discuss the correlation between the type of substance used and the recovery time, as well as the substances that are most addictive.

Author - Jakub Gwiazdecki

Fifth year medical student at the Medical Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava.

Jakub used MediSearch to find sources for this blog.

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How long does it take for dopamine receptors to recover?

The recovery of the dopamine receptors is not instantaneous. It can take weeks to months.

For example, the recovery of dopamine receptors in alcohol-addicted patients can take more than 5 months. After four months of abstinence, the D2 dopamine receptors still have a lower availability compared to normal [1].

In chronic cocaine abuse, the recovery of dopamine receptors can take around one month [2]. However, a study on monkeys shows that this process may be even 2 months long [3].

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How does the recovery time of dopamine receptors vary with different substances?

Research indicates that different substances can have varying impacts on dopamine receptor availability and recovery time.

For example, cocaine abuse leads to a decreased D2 dopamine receptor availability within the first week of consumption. The receptor count can fall to 80% of the normal [4].

The full recovery of the dopamine receptors can take even 12 months of abstinence [4].

Some substances are less researched, and the time of recovery of the dopamine receptors was only assessed in animals.

For instance, this is the case of methamphetamine. The recovery process in humans is poorly understood. Nevertheless, in rats, a partial recovery of the dopamine receptors happens after 30 days [5].

Factors that influence the dopamine receptors recovery time

The recovery time of dopamine receptors in humans can depend on several factors. However, research on humans is limited. Therefore, most of the conclusions are drawn from animal-based studies.

Among the factors that most probably can influence the recovery time of dopamine receptors in humans are:

age [6],
sex [7],
avilability of spare dopamine receptors [8].

Out of these factors, the most crucial are age and sex. The recovery of D2 receptors in younger rats is faster than in the older ones [6].

Also, sex might play a role in the recovery time. Females have a higher availability of dopamine receptors than men [7]. However, this is only an assumption. The relationship between recovery time and availability is not fully understood.

What is an addiction?

An addiction is a chronic disturbance in the brain, involving the motivation and reward systems. A characteristic feature of addiction is craving for a substance or behavior, regardless of the effect it can have [9].

Another characteristic of addiction is the loss of self-control. The drive for the addictive factor becomes a key in daily life and disturbs it [9].

Based on the craving direction, addiction can divided into substance and non-substance addition [10].

Non-substance addictions include behaviors like food addiction, gambling, mobile phone addiction, and porn addiction [10].

Addiction often leads to health, financial, and social problems [11]. Therefore, addictions are seen as diseases. Psychiatrists are the doctors that treat them [12].

What substances are most addictive?

Among the most addictive substances are: