Cocaine could cause irreversible braindamage, says study
Abusing the highly addictive drug can lead to long-term memory loss and learning difficulties. Tests on genetically modified mice showed that cocaine inhibited the brain by destroying a key protein responsible for learning and long-term memory.
The findings will come as a shock to some young high flyers who work in industries where taking cocaine is seen as part of the job as one of the scientists behind the study said prolonged abuse could effect long-term career prospects. Scientists have already shown that cocaine gives users a "high" by stimulating the area of the brain known as the striatum and leads to a craving for more of the Class A drug.
