Scottsdale Cocaine Abuse - Why Teens Get Hooked on Cocaine More Easily

Scottsdale Cocaine Abuse - New research with rats may explain why teenagers get hooked on cocaine more readily than adults. In a recent study, adolescent rats demonstrated a heightened sensitivity to cocaine-related cues than adult rats.

When given cocaine, adolescent rats more strongly preferred the place where they obtained the drugs compared with adult rats. This learned association persisted even after researchers broke the cocaine-linked preference.

The findings confirm real-world evidence that teens are more likely to become addicted than adults. Researchers suspect that dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with cocaine abuse, sends more powerful messages in adolescent brains.

The study was conducted by Harvard Medical School. The research was reported in the journal of Behavioral Neuroscience.