Many individuals who enter drug abuse treatment for cocaine addiction experience a frustrating cycle of recovery and relapse. In fact, the National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that 40 to 60 percent of those who receive treatment for addiction will relapse. At six months following treatment, the rates can climb to 80 percent.
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Tag Archives: cocaine
Translational Addiction Sciences Center to Target New Treatment Options
There is no “magic bullet” to cure addiction, be it a pill to extinguish the craving for a particular chemical or a psychological treatment program that works for everybody without relapse, but the quest to find new approaches continues.
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Link Found Between Cocaine Addiction and Autism
Researchers and addiction specialists know that drug and alcohol addiction have a biological basis in lasting changes that occur in the brains of people who repeatedly use specific substances over time. However, they don’t know all of the details about how these changes manifest inside the brain. In a study published in May 2014 in the journal Neuron, researchers from three U.S. universities explored the role that a specific brain protein, called FMRP, plays in setting the stage for the development of cocaine addiction. This same protein has a known role in the development of the childhood developmental disorder called autism spectrum disorder.
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Researchers May Have Breakthrough in Cocaine Addiction Treatment
Researchers at the University of Buffalo have been testing a novel compound that could be the first substance to successfully treat cocaine addiction. During animal testing, the compound RO5263397 appeared to block the desire for cocaine, helping rats kick the habit and also helping to keep them from relapsing.
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Cocaine Addicts Have Trouble Making Moral Judgments
Cocaine is a stimulant drug of abuse known for its ability to trigger physical dependence and addiction in repeated and heavy users. Researchers and addiction specialists are well aware that repeated exposure to the drug also has a widespread impact on the brain areas responsible for logical thinking and emotional processing. In a study published in March 2014 in the journal Addiction Biology, a team of Spanish researchers investigated the impact that cocaine addiction has on a person’s ability to deal with complex moral judgments known as moral dilemmas.