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Resetting addicted brain: Laser light zaps away cocaine addiction

By stimulating one part of the brain with laser light, researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco (UCSF) have shown that they ...

Neuroscience created Apr 03, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (11) | comments 7 | with audio podcast

Morphine and cocaine affect reward sensation differently

(Medical Xpress)—A new study by scientists in the US has found that the opiate morphine and the stimulant cocaine act on the reward centers in the brain in different ways, contradicting previous theories ...

Medical research created Oct 05, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast report

High childhood IQ linked to subsequent illicit drug use

A high childhood IQ may be linked to subsequent illegal drug use, particularly among women, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Health created Nov 15, 2011 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 0

Researchers argue 'addiction' a poor way to understand the normal use of drugs

A new review from UK and German researchers claims that the vast majority of people who routinely use drugs are using them to achieve their goals and cope better with the stresses of modern life.

Other created Apr 12, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (4) | comments 8

New street drug 'bath salts' packs double punch, mimics effects of two powerful narcotics

The street drug commonly referred to as "bath salts" is one of a growing list of synthetic and unevenly regulated narcotics that are found across the United States and on the Internet. New research on this potent drug paints ...

Medical research created Feb 23, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0

People with low risk for cocaine dependence have differently shaped brain to those with addiction

People who take cocaine over many years without becoming addicted have a brain structure which is significantly different from those individuals who developed cocaine-dependence, researchers have discovered. New research ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Jan 17, 2013 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Study examines nicotine as a gateway drug

A landmark study in mice identifies a biological mechanism that could help explain how tobacco products could act as gateway drugs, increasing a person's future likelihood of abusing cocaine and perhaps other drugs as well, ...

Medical research created Nov 02, 2011 | popularity 3.3 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Cocaine decreases activity of a protein necessary for normal functioning of the brain's reward system

New research from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York reveals that repeated exposure to cocaine decreases the activity of a protein necessary for normal functioning of the brain's reward system, thus enhancing the reward ...

Neuroscience created Apr 22, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Discovery could yield treatment for cocaine addicts

Scientists have discovered a molecular process in the brain triggered by cocaine use that could provide a target for treatments to prevent or reverse addiction to the drug.

Neuroscience created Mar 15, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify pathway that may protect against cocaine addiction

(Medical Xpress)—A study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health gives insight into changes in the reward circuitry of the brain that may provide resistance against cocaine addiction. Scientists ...

Neuroscience created Apr 16, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Cocaine vaccine passes key testing hurdle

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have successfully tested their novel anti-cocaine vaccine in primates, bringing them closer to launching human clinical trials. Their study, published online by the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, used a ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created May 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

How the brain puts the brakes on the negative impact of cocaine

Research published by Cell Press in the January 12 issue of the journal Neuron provides fascinating insight into a newly discovered brain mechanism that limits the rewarding impact of cocaine. The study describes protective delaye ...

Neuroscience created Jan 11, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Animal study: long-term ritalin doesn't impact growth

(HealthDay) -- Chronic use of methylphenidate (Ritalin) in young monkeys has no significant effect on growth or the dopamine system, or the likelihood of becoming addicted to cocaine, according to a study ...

Psychology & Psychiatry created Jul 20, 2012 | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Discovery of brain's natural resistance to drugs may offer clues to treating addition

A single injection of cocaine or methamphetamine in mice caused their brains to put the brakes on neurons that generate sensations of pleasure, and these cellular changes lasted for at least a week, according ...

Neuroscience created Mar 08, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

27 million problem drug users worldwide: UN

Some 27 million people worldwide are problem drug users, with almost one percent every year dying from narcotics abuse, while cannabis remains the most popular drug, a UN report showed Tuesday.

Addiction created Jun 26, 2012 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 1

Cocaine

Cocaine (benzoylmethylecgonine) is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is both a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant. Specifically, it is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor and a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which mediates functionality of such as an exogenous DAT ligand. Because of the way it affects the mesolimbic reward pathway, cocaine is addictive.

Its possession, cultivation, and distribution are illegal for non-medicinal and non-government sanctioned purposes in virtually all parts of the world. Although its free commercialization is illegal and has been severely penalized in virtually all countries, its use worldwide remains widespread in many social, cultural, and personal settings.

For more information about Cocaine, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Related topics: brain , drug , neurons