CORAL GABLES, Fla., May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has granted $350,000 to a professor at the University of Miami (UM) School of Business Administration

Experts are warning about a dangerous drug currently being dealt in Colombia that can reportedly rob an individual of their free will, making them vulnerable to criminals and attackers, or erase their memories.

Chronic exposure to cocaine reduces the expression of a protein known to regulate brain plasticity, according to new, in vivo research on the molecular basis of cocaine addiction.

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.

A history of binge eating -- consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time -- may make an individual more likely to show other addiction-like behaviors, including substance abuse.