Researchers at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital said that cocaine appears to alter nerve cells in the substantia nigra region of the brain, making them more vulnerable to environmental toxins thought to cause Parkinson's. Animal tests involving mice injected with cocaine showed that the drug increased the presence of dangerous free radicals which, when combined with low levels of a common toxin from the chemical industry, caused the nerve cells to die.

"What seems to be happening is that although each in isolation would not be a big problem, there is a synergistic effect that makes the nerves more susceptible to damage if cocaine has been used," said researcher Richard Smeyne.

The study also found that pregnant women who use cocaine also raise their risk of having children who develop Parkinson's. "Based on these findings, it might not be surprising to see a rise in the number of cases of Parkinson's disease in the next 10 or 20 years or so," said Smeyne.

The research was published online Nov. 17, 2005, in the journal Neuroscience.

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