Potential benefits and mechanisms of physical exercise and rTMS in improving brain function in people with drug use disorders

Improving brain function impairment in people with substance use disorders (PSUD) is considered to be important in regulating their cyclic drug use impulse and relapse behavior. Physical exercise (PE) and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may improve brain functional impairment in PSUD, respectively, but few studies have focused on the benefits and mechanisms of the combined use of the two. This editorial presents: 1) Both PE and rTMS alone appear to have positive effects on PSUD's reward system, cognitive function, and emotional regulation to varying degrees. 2) The mode of PE combined with rTMS seems to have a superimposed benefit on the brain function of PSUD by promoting the dynamic regulation of neurotransmitters and receptors, plasticity changes in neurogenesis and synapses, and the reversible development of brain structure and functional connections in PSUD. However, although this combination model provides a reference for subsequent targeted intervention therapy for drug use disorders, further studies are needed to provide more direct evidence of the corresponding benefits and mechanisms.