By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 9:48 AM on 24th February 2012 . Teenagers are more susceptible to cocaine addiction than adults because of how their brains are wired, scientists say. A team from Yale University said those who started abusing the Class A drug when they were young were far more easily affected by it and more likely to become dependent. Brain altering: Scientists have found out why teenagers are so susceptible to the effects of cocaine . Writing in The Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers said this was because the adolescent brain launches a strong defensive reaction to minimise the drug's effect, with neurons and synapses changing shape when first exposed to the cocaine. Because of this, teenagers needs only a third as much of the drug to experience a high. The researchers have now found the gene which regulates this response - and by changing it have dramatically increased the sensitivity of mice to cocaine, reports the Journal of Neuroscience. Tweaking it in the opposite direction could reverse the effect, they say. Prof Anthony Koleske said the gene, integrin beta1, is crucial to the development of the nervous system in vertebrates. He said: 'This suggests that these structural changes observed are probably protective of the neurocircuitry, an effort of the neuron to protect itself when first exposed to cocaine.' When researchers knocked out the gene pathway, mice needed approximately three times less cocaine to induce behavioural changes than mice with an intact pathway. Prof Kolesek said it suggested that the relative strength of the integrin beta1 pathway may explain why some cocaine users end up addicted to the drug while others escape its worst effects. He said: 'If you were to become totally desensitised to cocaine, there is no reason to seek the drug.' Cocaine is a Class A drug, which is illegal to possess, give away or sell. Almost one in 10 Britons aged 15-64 have taken cocaine (and one in seven aged 15-34) - the highest in Europe. It was responsible for 282 deaths between 2004 and 2007. It is a stimulant with a powerful, but very short-lived, effect. This can lead to over-confidence and risky behaviour. The white powder is also known as coke, charlie and snow. It raises the body’s temperature, makes the heart beat faster and can stave off feelings of hunger. A drugs session can be followed by a depressed mood and flu-like symptoms. Cocaine is very addictive as users start to crave their next hit. It can create a strong psychological dependence due to the changes it causes in the brain.
Scientists investigated why youngsters were so much more sensitive to the Class A drug .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Last updated at 9:48 AM on 24th February 2012 . Teenagers are more susceptible to cocaine addiction than adults because of how their brains are wired, scientists say. A team from Yale University said those who started abusing the Class A drug when they were young were far more easily affected by it and more likely to become dependent. Brain altering: Scientists have found out why teenagers are so susceptible to the effects of cocaine . Writing in The Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers said this was because the adolescent brain launches a strong defensive reaction to minimise the drug's effect, with neurons and synapses changing shape when first exposed to the cocaine. Because of this, teenagers needs only a third as much of the drug to experience a high. The researchers have now found the gene which regulates this response - and by changing it have dramatically increased the sensitivity of mice to cocaine, reports the Journal of Neuroscience. Tweaking it in the opposite direction could reverse the effect, they say. Prof Anthony Koleske said the gene, integrin beta1, is crucial to the development of the nervous system in vertebrates. He said: 'This suggests that these structural changes observed are probably protective of the neurocircuitry, an effort of the neuron to protect itself when first exposed to cocaine.' When researchers knocked out the gene pathway, mice needed approximately three times less cocaine to induce behavioural changes than mice with an intact pathway. Prof Kolesek said it suggested that the relative strength of the integrin beta1 pathway may explain why some cocaine users end up addicted to the drug while others escape its worst effects. He said: 'If you were to become totally desensitised to cocaine, there is no reason to seek the drug.' Cocaine is a Class A drug, which is illegal to possess, give away or sell. Almost one in 10 Britons aged 15-64 have taken cocaine (and one in seven aged 15-34) - the highest in Europe. It was responsible for 282 deaths between 2004 and 2007. It is a stimulant with a powerful, but very short-lived, effect. This can lead to over-confidence and risky behaviour. The white powder is also known as coke, charlie and snow. It raises the body’s temperature, makes the heart beat faster and can stave off feelings of hunger. A drugs session can be followed by a depressed mood and flu-like symptoms. Cocaine is very addictive as users start to crave their next hit. It can create a strong psychological dependence due to the changes it causes in the brain.
started abusing the Class A drug when they were strong psychological dependence due to the