http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/cocaine/ Medical research on cocaine. Read the latest research on how cocaine affects the human body, cravings, cocaine addiction and more. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/cocaine/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114309.htm Adult male monkeys exposed to cocaine while in the womb have poor impulse control and may be more vulnerable to drug abuse than female monkeys, even a decade or more after the exposure, according to a new study. The findings could lead to a better understanding of human drug abuse. The study was presented yesterday at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in Chicago. Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091022114309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023102504.htm A new study in rats has found that N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a commonly available and generally nontoxic amino acid derivative, reverses changes in the brain's circuitry associated with cocaine addiction. The reversal appears to lessen the cravings associated with cocaine, thus providing protection against relapse. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023102504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023102428.htm New animal studies suggest that memory and other cognitive problems experienced by cocaine-addicted people can result directly from the cocaine abuse in addition to pre-existing traits or lifestyle factors. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091023102428.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005181625.htm A vaccine to treat cocaine dependence appears to reduce use of the drug in a subgroup of individuals who attain high anti-cocaine antibody levels in response, according to a new report. However, only 38 percent of vaccinated individuals produced high enough antibody levels and those who did maintained them for only two months. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005181625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160104.htm Researchers are utilizing computational models to study how the brain's chemicals and synaptic mechanisms, or connections between neurons, react to cocaine addiction and what this could mean for future therapies. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922160104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075620.htm Some Northern Ireland teenagers are experimenting with cocaine. Researchers found that 7.5% of young people who took part in the Belfast Youth Development Survey had tried cocaine at least once by the age of 16. Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075620.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525173438.htm A new brain-imaging study reveals differences in cocaine users' ability to monitor their behavior and emotions in comparison to healthy control subjects. Such impairments may underlie vulnerability to drugs and suggest new targets for treatment. Tue, 26 May 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525173438.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519134706.htm Scientists demonstrate a link between cocaine and the reward circuits in the brain and also associates the susceptibility to addiction with these mechanisms. Wed, 20 May 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090519134706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513130928.htm New research sheds light on how cocaine regulates gene expression in a crucial reward region of the brain to elicit long-lasting changes in behavior. The study provides exciting insight into the molecular pathways regulated by cocaine and may lead to new strategies for battling drug addiction. Fri, 15 May 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513130928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423082756.htm Addicts, even those who have been abstinent for long periods of time, are often still vulnerable to their own memories of prior drug use. For example, exposure to the same environment in which they commonly used drugs -- a contextual memory -- can increase their craving for the drug dramatically and can lead to relapse. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423082756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417084121.htm Drug addiction affects millions of people around the world, causing numerous problems ranging from emotional and psychological difficulties to physical and health issues. Initial drug use can be motivated by curiosity or peer pressure, but in some animals, such as rats, it can also be the result of a stressful early life event, such as social isolation. A new study examines the impact of social isolation on the animal's response to cocaine. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417084121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401164049.htm Pharmacological researchers have discovered that blocking a hormone related to hunger regulation can limit cocaine cravings. Their findings could herald a new approach to overcoming addiction. Thu, 02 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401164049.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310142912.htm For decades, finding clues to substance addiction has been much like searching for a needle in a haystack. But researchers may finally be honing in on specific genes tied to all types of addictions - and finding that some of the same genes associated with alcohol dependence are also closely linked with addictions to nicotine, cocaine, opoids, heroin and other substances. Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090310142912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090302182945.htm Researchers have discovered that variants in the a-endomannosidase gene are associated with cocaine addiction and cocaine-induced paranoia in European American and African American populations. Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090302182945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303084044.htm New research outlines the extent of drug use in New Zealand, and when people first begin using drugs for non-medical purposes. The data comes from an analysis of over 12,000 interviews of people aged 16 or over carried out by the New Zealand Mental Health Survey (2003/2004), in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO). Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090303084044.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218223504.htm An ingredient in licorice shows promise as an antidote for the toxic effects of cocaine abuse, including deadly overdoses of the highly addictive drug, researchers are reporting.  Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090218223504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204193314.htm A common treatment for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, prescribed millions of times a year, may change the brain in the same ways that cocaine does, a new study in mice suggests. Research shows that methylphenidate, commonly known as Ritalin, causes physical changes in neurons in reward regions of mouse brains. In some cases, the effects overlapped with those of cocaine. Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090204193314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081223091308.htm In a study that challenges current ideas about the insect brain, researchers have found that honey bees on cocaine tend to exaggerate. Thu, 25 Dec 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081223091308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216201414.htm Investigators have discovered a functional link between reward and stress. They found that dopamine -- the brain's chief reward signal -- works through corticotrophin-releasing factor -- the brain's main stress signal -- to increase the activity of a brain region involved in addiction relapse. The findings, reported in the Journal of Neuroscience, point to new potential targets for treating alcohol and drug abuse -- particularly the problem of relapse. Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216201414.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081114190439.htm Environmental conditions play a major role in treating drug addiction and in preventing relapses, according to new research. For the first time, researchers have shown that positive and stimulating environmental conditions make it easier to treat cocaine addiction. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081114190439.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081116162312.htm When given a choice between viewing pictures of cocaine and a variety of other images, cocaine addicted individuals, as compared to healthy, non-addicted research subjects, show a clear preference for the drug-related images. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081116162312.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014111303.htm Using positron emission tomography to track tracer doses of methamphetamine in humans' brains, scientists find that the addictive and long-lasting effects of this increasingly prevalent drug can be explained in part by its pharmacokinetics -- the rate at which it enters and clears the brain, and its distribution. Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014111303.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008150443.htm New research findings suggest that structural abnormalities in the brains of cocaine addicts are related in part to drug use and in part to a predisposition toward addiction. The research maps the topography of the addicted brain and provides new insight into the effect of cocaine on neural systems mediating cognition and motivation. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081008150443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923164533.htm Prior animal research showed an association between the neuropeptide Y (NPY) pathway and its three receptor genes and alcohol dependence, alcohol withdrawal and cocaine use. New human findings link two NPY receptor genes, NPY2R and NPY5R, with a more severe form of AD, and cocaine dependence. Mon, 29 Sep 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080923164533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915164427.htm Chemists are reporting development of what they term the most powerful substance ever discovered for eliminating cocaine from the body, an advance that could lead to the world's first effective medicine for fighting overdoses and addictions of the illicit drug. Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915164427.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827102742.htm Addictions to medicines and drugs are thought to develop over a relatively long period of time. The process involves both structural and functional changes in brain nerve cells that are still poorly understood. However, a single drug or alcohol dose is sufficient to generate an initial stage of addiction. Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827102742.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827163820.htm Increased connections among brain cells caused by excessive drug use may represent the body's defense mechanism to combat addiction and related behaviors, scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found. Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080827163820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163103.htm Vigabatrin, a medication proposed as a potential treatment for drug addiction, also leads to rapid weight loss and reduced food intake according to a new animal study from the same research group. Genetically bred 'fat rats' experience dramatic weight loss, reduced food intake after being given vigabatrin. Vigabatrin is currently undergoing US Food and Drug Administration-approved Phase II clinical trials against cocaine and methamphetamine addiction across the US. Sun, 24 Aug 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080820163103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815073522.htm A possible future way to prevent relapses into drug dependence has been discovered. The target is the dopamine-producing nerve cells in the midbrain. Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080815073522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813120745.htm The persistent nature of addiction is its most devastating feature. Understanding the mechanism underlying this phenomenon is the key for designing efficient therapy. Two separate studies published by Cell Press in the journal Neuron identify specific cocaine-induced changes in dopamine neurons that play a pivotal role in behaviors associated with drug addiction. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080813120745.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812213931.htm "Erasing" drug-associated memories may prevent recovering drug abusers from relapsing, researchers have discovered. The team was able to reduce drug-seeking behaviors in rats by blocking a brain chemical receptor important to learning and memory during the recall of drug-associated memories. Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812213931.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080730155352.htm New research has uncovered a fundamental cellular mechanism that may drive pathological drug-seeking behavior. Rats that voluntarily use cocaine show a persistent cellular memory in the brain's reward center even after several months of abstinence from the drug, while their involuntary counterparts had no such memory, according to a new study. Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080730155352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731073646.htm High levels of alcohol and drug consumption by young people in Europe is leading to an increase in unsafe sexual practices and a consequent rise in sexually-transmitted disease infections, according to a recently published study by the European Institute of Studies on Prevention (IREFREA). Fri, 01 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731073646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729133515.htm Scientists have now described the specifics of how brain cells process antidepressant drugs, cocaine and amphetamines. These novel findings could prove useful in the development of more targeted medication therapies for a host of psychiatric diseases, most notably in the area of addiction. Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080729133515.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630201007.htm A survey of 17 countries has found that despite its punitive drug policies the United States has the highest levels of illegal cocaine and cannabis use. Cannabis use was highest in the US (42.4%). Drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," say the authors, "since countries with more stringent policies towards illegal drug use did not have lower levels of such drug use than countries with more liberal policies." In the Netherlands, for example, which has more liberal policies than the US, 19.8% reported cannabis use. Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080630201007.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080612144501.htm Scientists have found impulsivity, a trait often associated with addicts' behavior, predicts whether casual drug use will lead to compulsive drug use. Many individuals take addictive drugs at some point in their lives -- not just illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin, but also legal and commonly available substances such as alcohol and nicotine. But only a sub-group of those who take drugs eventually lose control over their drug use and become 'addicted'. Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080612144501.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610092750.htm Exposure of the developing brain to cocaine can cause neurological and behavioral abnormalities in babies born to mothers who use the drug during pregnancy. Researchers -- who note that cocaine use occurs in several hundred thousand pregnancies per year in the United States alone -- investigated the mechanism of cocaine's effect on fetal brain development. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610092750.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610071947.htm In the first study across time into late childhood of the effects of prenatal drug exposure on sleep, prenatal drug exposure is associated with greater sleep problems in children. In addition, nicotine has a unique effect, and early sleep problems predict later sleep problems. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610071947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527113200.htm The first large-scale analysis of proteins in the brains of monkeys addicted to cocaine reveals new information on how long-term cocaine use changes the amount and activity of various proteins affecting brain function. Thu, 29 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527113200.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162829.htm The search for genes associated with alcohol dependence has recently been extended to the tachykinin receptor 3 gene, located within a broad region on chromosome 4q. Researchers have found that seven of the nine single nucleotide polymorphisms -- DNA sequence variations -- in the 3' region of TACR3 have a significant association with AD as well as cocaine dependence. Mon, 12 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505162829.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222420.htm Teenagers and young adults across Europe drink and take drugs as part of deliberate sexual strategies. A third of 16-35 year old males and a quarter of females surveyed are drinking alcohol to increase their chances of sex, while cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis are intentionally used to enhance sexual arousal or prolong sex. Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508222420.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421133021.htm New drug research suggests that teens may get addicted and relapse more easily than adults because developing brains are more powerfully motivated by drug-related cues. This conclusion has been reached by researchers who found that adolescent rats given cocaine -- a powerfully addicting stimulant -- were more likely than adults to prefer the place where they got it. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421133021.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416081628.htm Increasing the brain level of receptors for dopamine, a pleasure-related chemical, can reduce use of cocaine by 75 percent in rats trained to self-administer it. Earlier research had similar findings for alcohol intake. Treatments that increase levels of these chemicals -- dopamine D2 receptors -- may prove useful in treating addiction. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416081628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407162403.htm Are the estimated 1 million young adults who were exposed to cocaine before birth more vulnerable to drug abuse today? New research indicating long-lasting brain changes suggests the possibility -- especially in males -- according to a new report. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407162403.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153352.htm New research in monkeys suggests the feasibility of treating cocaine addiction with a "replacement" drug that mimics the effects of cocaine but has less potential for abuse -- similar to the way nicotine and heroin addictions are treated. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153352.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407153034.htm Over 1 million babies born annually in the United States are exposed to drugs, alcohol or tobacco while in utero. New research suggests that prenatal exposure to these substances (alone or in combination) may have effects on the baby's brain structure that persist into adolescence. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407153034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153354.htm Having a lower social standing increases the likelihood that a monkey faced with a stressful situation will choose cocaine over food, according to a new study. More dominant monkeys undergoing the same stressful situation had fewer changes in brain activity in areas of the brain involved in stress and anxiety and were less likely to choose cocaine. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153350.htm Simple environmental enrichment and increased social stress can both affect the level of individual drug use, according to new monkey research. Enrichment reduced drug use by all of the study animals; additional stress caused more drug intake in subordinate monkeys. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080406153350.htm