High doses of cocaine 'can cause brain to eat itself'

Using high doses of cocaine triggers brain cells to eat themselves, new research has found.
According to an experiment carried out by scientists from John Hopkins University School of Medicine in the US, taking large amounts of the drug sparks an out-of-control version of autophagy, which causes cells to digest their insides.
The findings were revealed after scientists gave high doses of cocaine to mice.
Dr Solomon Snyder, from the university, said autopsies were performed on the animals, which showed that their brain cells died as a result of autophagy.
Cell death was also detected in mouse pups whose mothers received cocaine while pregnant.