Biomed Middle East » How cocaine corrupts the brain Biomed Middle East

13:36 How cocaine corrupts the brain Biomed Middle East 0 Comments

Biomed Middle East » How cocaine corrupts the brain Biomed Middle East: "Scientists have found how cocaine corrupts the brain and becomes addictive .

These findings are the first to connect activation of specific neurons to alterations in cocaine reward.

The results may help researchers in developing new ways of treating those addicted to the drug.

Led by Mary Kay Lobo, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and first author of the study, researchers found that the two main neurons (D1 and D2) in the nucleus accumbens region of the brain, an important part of the brain’s reward center, exert opposite effects on cocaine reward. Activation of D1 neurons increases cocaine reward whereas activation of D2 neurons decreases cocaine reward.

“The data suggest a model whereby chronic exposure to cocaine results in an imbalance in activity in the two nucleus accumbens neurons: increased activity in D1 neurons combined with decreased activity in D2 neurons. This further suggests that BDNF-TrkB signaling in D2 neurons mediates this decreased activity in D2 neurons,” said Dr. Lobo."

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