Cocaine is a drug that can instantaneously change the structure of the brain
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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American scientists have conducted several experiments, which proved that cocaine can make changes in the structure of the brain in just three to four hours. For several months, the researchers conducted a fairly large number of experiments involving animals and now can confidently say that a popular drug makes irreparable changes in the human body.
Experiments conducted on mammals have shown that after the cocaine is absorbed into the blood, new cellular structures are formed in the body (or more precisely, in the brain), which can affect the memory and the reaction rate.
Cocaine is an alkaloid of vegetable origin (mainly South America), which has a narcotic and analgesic effect. The indigenous population of South America has long used coca leaves, which were famous for their energetic, tonic and narcotic effects. In the second half of the nineteenth century, pure cocaine was extracted from the leaves of the South American plant, which was originally used only for medical purposes.
To date, cocaine is one of the most dangerous drugs, the use of which represents an acute social problem in the modern world. Researchers from the University of California believe that the first signs of drug dependence are that after the cocaine is absorbed in the body, new cellular structures are formed in the brain. Experiments conducted on small rodents showed that drug dependence is directly related to significant changes in the structure of the brain. Addiction to the narcotic substance arose only after the formation of new cells in the substance of the brain.
Studies conducted at the American University, were originally aimed at a detailed study of the formation of drug dependence. To date, a large number of young people are addicted to drugs that adversely affect their health and social status, so scientists have been studying addiction for years.
During the last experiments, small rodents were offered to choose one of two rooms, each of which had a certain interior and smell. After the mice were identified with the choice of the room, the specialists injected them with a small dose of cocaine. A few hours later, scientists examined the brain cells of animals using modern laser microscopes and then analyzed the data. An analysis of the results showed that in mice injected with a drug substance, the brain cells formed membrane outgrowths that could affect memory and reaction speed. Also, scientists noted that the situation in which the first use of the drug occurred, may subsequently influence the behavior of the animal: after the injection of cocaine, mice always chose the room in which the injection was previously made.
Doctors from the UK confirmed the importance of this experiment, they believe that any work on studying the origin of drug dependence can help in the treatment of drug addiction.
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