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| Science & Technology |
| Cocaine rapidly changes the brain |
| 2013-08-25 |
| [BBC's Masters of the obvious division] Taking cocaine can change the structure of the brain within hours in what could be the first steps of drug addiction, according to US researchers. So thaaaat's what happens. Animal tests, reported in the journal Nature Neuroscience, showed new structures linked to learning and memory began to grow soon after the drug was taken. Mice with the most brain changes showed a greater preference for cocaine. Proving once again there is scant difference between mice and men. Experts described it as the brain "learning addiction". Er huh, Cocaine 'experts' ? The team at University of California, Berkeley and UC San Francisco looked for tiny protrusions from brain cells called dendritic spines. They are heavily implicated in memory formation. A group analysis emanating from a smoke filled room no doubt. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #12 Scopolamine, historically used for motion sickness and other forms of nausea, and now prescribed for depression, causes growth of the dendritic spines as well. It is thought that other anti-depressant drugs may also have a similar effect, although over a period of weeks and months rather than hours and days. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2013-08-25 23:22 |
| #11 I can't feature that, Jokerman. |
| Posted by: Hupomorong Unath1167 2013-08-25 22:24 |
| #10 obooboo ain't no Native American. Since he doesn't want anyone to know where he came from, "citizen of the world" is a suspect origin... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2013-08-25 21:14 |
#9 Native Americans have been using tobacco and peyote for a long time. And see what it's done for them! Does this explain Obama? |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2013-08-25 20:59 |
| #8 Native Americans have been using tobacco and peyote for a long time. Nicotine and mescaline... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2013-08-25 20:33 |
| #7 caffeine doesn't spark that ATM-elbow reaction |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-08-25 20:17 |
| #6 Forgot to mention nicotine, another alkaloid, dontcha know... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2013-08-25 19:52 |
| #5 Well, cocaine and caffeine are both alkaloids. Along with curare, mescaline and a bunch of other interesting but dangerous molecules... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2013-08-25 19:51 |
| #4 There is no way that cocaine is "addictive" but coffee isn't. You meant 'caffeine', right? |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-08-25 19:14 |
| #3 "We'll...no shit?" - Sr. Drill Instructor Hartman |
| Posted by: Lowspark 2013-08-25 19:00 |
| #2 FUD. There is no way that cocaine is "addictive" but coffee isn't. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2013-08-25 18:27 |
| #1 new structures linked to learning and memory Hmmm, is there any way to allow the brain to grow, but NOT be addicted? If so there's a lot to learn. (High school) |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2013-08-25 18:12 |