Cocaine Addiction News and Research

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Cocaine dependence (or addiction) is physical and psychological dependency on the regular use of cocaine. It can result in severe physiological damage, psychosis, schizophrenia, lethargy, depression, or a potentially fatal overdose.

Psychiatrist explains dangerous effects of cocaine addiction

Last year, almost a million in the UK people snorted, dabbed, smoked or injected cocaine, making it the second most popular drug in the country, after cannabis.

29 May 2017

'Cannibal drug' consumption in adolescence can increase vulnerability to cocaine use during adulthood

Consumption of the synthetic drug MDPV -a powerful psychostimulant known as 'cannibal drug'- in adolescence, can increase vulnerability of cocaine addiction during adulthood, according to a study carried out with laboratory animals and led by the researchers Elena Escubedo, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences and the Institute of Biomedicine of the UB and Olga Valverde, head of the Neurobiology of Behaviour Research Group of Pompeu Fabra University.

22 Mar 2017

Blocking hypocretin signaling may provide new avenue for treating cocaine addiction, study suggests

The hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) system of the brain is best known for promoting wakefulness and appetite. A new paper in Biological Psychiatry suggests that blocking hypocretin signaling via the HCRT-1 receptor (HCRT-R1) might also reduce the appetite for cocaine.

16 Mar 2017

New anti-cocaine monoclonal antibody moves forward towards clinical studies in humans

A University of Cincinnati researcher who has developed an immunotherapy to help reverse cocaine addiction that's been successful in animal models says he hopes to have it in clinical trials in human volunteers within a year.

28 Feb 2017

Cocaine addiction may disrupt iron regulation in the brain, study finds

Cocaine addiction may affect how the body processes iron, leading to a build-up of the mineral in the brain, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.

21 Feb 2017

Cocaine addicts make riskier decisions than healthy people after losing potential reward

People addicted to cocaine make riskier decisions than healthy people after losing a potential reward, according to a study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

10 Jan 2017

UTHealth study receives $1.9 million NIH grant to identify effective treatment for cocaine addiction

Identifying more effective treatment strategies tailored to individual responses for patients overcoming addiction to cocaine is the focus of a new clinical trial at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

8 Nov 2016

Porous acupuncture needles use nanotechnology to offer improved therapeutic properties

A DGIST research team led by Professor Su-Il In, who developed acupuncture needles combined with nanotechnology, was recognized as the world's first application of this technology.

18 Oct 2016

Researchers identify promising new drug treatment for cocaine addiction

A team of researchers led by Cardiff University has discovered a promising new drug treatment for cocaine addiction.

31 Aug 2016

TSRI scientists find evidence supporting new therapeutic strategy against cocaine addiction

An international team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has found strong evidence supporting a new strategy against drug addiction.

18 Aug 2016

New study suggests increased levels of hypocretin in the brain may play role in cocaine addiction

A new study from scientists at The Scripps Research Institute, funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse and National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, suggests that increased levels of a molecule in the brain, called hypocretin, may contribute to cocaine addiction.

10 Aug 2016

UTA researchers find how changing estrogen levels make women more vulnerable to cocaine addiction

Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are studying how fluctuating estrogen levels make females increasingly sensitive to the rewarding effects of cocaine and ultimately, vulnerable to cocaine addiction.

2 Aug 2016

Scientists use animal model to gain better understanding of cocaine addiction

Scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are one step closer to understanding what causes cocaine to be so addictive. The research findings are published in the current issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.

2 Aug 2016

Glial cells may play crucial role in addiction-related behaviors

Addiction may be viewed as a disorder of reward learning. To date, addiction research has focused on the molecular adaptations through which memories of exposure to abused substances are encoded and maintained by nerve cells.

9 Jun 2016

GFE3 protein may help researchers modify brain activity, memory in targeted ways

Scientists at USC have developed a new tool to modify brain activity and memory in targeted ways, without the help of any drugs or chemicals.

7 Jun 2016

Penn investigators explore new treatment option for cocaine dependence

In the ongoing fight against drug addiction, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing and Perelman School of Medicine have discovered a unique application for an FDA-approved drug currently used for obese patients and type 2 diabetics: treatment for cocaine dependence.

11 Feb 2016

Topiramate drug curbs marijuana use among young smokers, but with serious side effects

Combining the drug topiramate with psychological counseling curbed marijuana use among young smokers significantly more than did counseling alone, according to newly published results of a small randomized, controlled trial at Brown University. The results come with a caveat, however: many study volunteers couldn't tolerate the medicine's side effects.

18 Jan 2016

Researchers receive $6 million to further develop potential treatment for cocaine abuse

University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy Professor Chang-Guo Zhan, along with fellow UK Professors Fang Zheng and Sharon Walsh, and Professor Mei-Chuan Ko from Wake Forest University, recently received $6 million in funding over five years to further develop a potential treatment for cocaine abuse.

21 Nov 2015

Novel enzyme therapy offers possible treatment for cocaine overdose

A long-acting enzyme that rapidly and safely metabolizes cocaine in the blood stream is currently being investigated in animal models as a possible treatment for cocaine overdose.

30 Oct 2015

Research shows specific routes of administration can predict risk of drug addiction

Abstinence is the best way to avoid drug addiction. But in many societies, drug use is the norm, not the exception, especially by youth.

3 Aug 2015