cocaine

Topic description and stories

Cocaine addiction leads to build-up of iron in brain

21 Feb 2017

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...

Carrots and sticks fail to change behaviour in cocaine addiction

16 Jun 2016

People who are addicted to cocaine are particularly prone to developing habits that render their behaviour resistant to change, regardless of the...

Highway to addiction, Credit: The District

Highway to addiction: how drugs and alcohol can hijack your brain

25 Feb 2016

The discovery of a brain circuit ‘shortcut’ could explain why some addicts unintentionally relapse, and suggests that a shift in focus for therapies...

Cocaine addiction: Scientists discover ‘back door’ into the brain

12 Jan 2016

Individuals addicted to cocaine may have difficulty in controlling their addiction because of a previously-unknown ‘back door’ into the brain...

The skinny on cocaine

09 Aug 2013

New research suggests chronic cocaine use causes profound metabolic changes, reducing the body’s ability to store fat.

Chronic cocaine use may speed up ageing of brain

24 Apr 2012

Research shows chronic users’ brains age dramatically faster than their non-drug using peers.

A close up of a young woman snorting cocaine during the 1920s

Possible tool to help cocaine users kick the habit

06 Oct 2011

Medicines which increase levels of the brain chemical dopamine may hold the key to helping those addicted to cocaine and amphetamines kick the habit...

Abnormal brain structure linked to chronic cocaine abuse

21 Jun 2011

Research gives insight into why some people develop addiction.