Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
Commonly abused bath salts act like cocaine in the brain, U.S. researchers have found, UPI reports.
Mephedrone, which is in so-called bath salts, activate reward centers of the brain, leading to addiction, said Dr. C.J. Malanga, an associate professor of neurology, pediatrics and psychology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
The study measured the effects of mephredone on reward centers of the brain and discovered the stimulant acts similarly to cocaine.
“As expected our research shows that mephedrone likely has significant abuse liability,” Malanga said in a statement. “It increases the rewarding potency of intracranial self-stimulation just like cocaine does.”
