Scientists explore the inner workings of the teenage brain

New research by scientists at           "As we age, we all lose grey
the University of Cambridge           matter. However, what we 
suggests that chronic cocaine          have seen is that chronic
abuse accelerates the process          cocaine users lose grey
 of brain ageing.                               matter at a significantly
                                                         faster rate, which could
The       study      found      that        be a sign of premature    
 age-related loss of grey matter        ageing."
in the brain is greater in people       -Dr Karen Ersche
who are dependent on cocaine 
than in the healthy population.

For the study, the researchers scanned the brains of 120 people with similar age, gender and verbal IQ. Half of the individuals had a dependence on cocaine while the other 60 had no history of substance abuse disorders.

The researchers found that the rate of age-related grey matter volume loss in cocaine-dependent individuals was significantly greater than in healthy volunteers.

 The cocaine users lost about 

3.08 ml brain volume per 

year, which is almost twice 

the rate of healthy 

volunteers (who only lost 

about 1.69 ml per year). 

The accelerated age-related decline in brain volume was most prominent in the prefrontal and temporal cortex, important regions of the brain which are associated with attention, decision-making, and self-regulation as well as memory.

Previous studies have shown that psychological and physiological changes typically associated with old age such as cognitive decline, brain atrophy and immunodeficiency are also seen in middle-aged cocaine-dependent individuals. 

However, this is the first time that premature ageing of the brain has been associated with chronic cocaine abuse.

Dr Karen Ersche, of the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI) at the University of Cambridge, said: 

“As we age, we all lose grey matter. 

However, what we have seen is that 

chronic cocaine users lose grey 

matter at a significantly faster rate, 

which could be a sign of premature 

ageing. Our findings therefore 

provide new insight into why the 

cognitive deficits typically seen in old 

age have frequently been observed in 

middle aged chronic users of cocaine.”

The scientists also highlight concerns that premature ageing in chronic cocaine users is an emerging public health concern. 

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that cocaine is used by up to 21 million individuals worldwide, with approximately 1 per cent of these individuals becoming dependent.

Dr Ersche said: 

“Our findings clearly highlight 

the need for preventative

 strategies to address the risk of 

premature ageing associated 

with cocaine abuse. Young 

people taking cocaine today 

need to be educated about the 

long-term risk of ageing 

prematurely.”

The concern of accelerated ageing is not limited to young people but also affects older adults who have been abusing drugs such as cocaine since early adulthood.

Dr Ersche added: 

“Our findings shed light on the 

largely neglected problem of the

 growing number of older drug

 users, whose needs are not so 

well catered for in drug 

treatment services. It is timely

 for heath care providers to 

understand and recognise the 

needs of older drug users in

 order to design and 

administer age-appropriate

 treatments.”