How Cocaine Affects the Female Brain Differently

How Cocaine Affects the Female Brain Differently Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Print How Cocaine Affects the Female Brain Differently Gender-Specific Treatment Strategies May Help By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on January 10, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 25, 2020 hiphunter/Getty Images More in Addiction Drug Use Cocaine Heroin Marijuana Meth Ecstasy/MDMA Hallucinogens Opioids Prescription Medications Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Nicotine Use Coping and Recovery Women make up about one-third of all cocaine users in the United States and they may differ from male cocaine abusers in several ways. Research shows that cocaine-dependent women seek drug rehabilitation for different reasons than men, they respond to treatment differently and their brains react differently to a craving for cocaine.?? Using PET (positron emission tomography) scan technology, Emory University School of Medicine scientists found that cocaine-dependent women experience reactions in the brain that are different from men. Cerebral blood flow, which shows neural activity in the brain, changes differently for women addicted to cocaine than for cocaine-dependent men, the study found. For these reasons, the researchers believe that gender-specific treatment strategies for cocaine abuse may be more effective. Drug Craving and Brain Regions Dr. Clinton Kilts and his colleagues examined blood flow related to drug craving in the brains of eight abstinent, cocaine-craving women and compared those results to samples from eight matched cocaine-craving men. 5 Ways to Curb Your Drug Cravings and Avoid Relapse The researchers used a one-minute narration describing past cocaine use to provoke cocaine craving in the studys participants. The researchers made PET images of the participants brains as they listened to the drug-using stories and when they heard drug-neutral stories. Emotions and Cognition Affected Differently in Females According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, The researchers found that cue-induced craving was associated with greater activation of the central sulcus and frontal cortex in women, and less activation of the amygdala, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventral cingulated cortex. Both men and women demonstrated activation of the right nucleus accumbens. Perhaps most notable was the neural activity measured in the amygdalas of study subjects; the women experienced a marked decrease in activity, in contrast to the increase observed in men, the report said.?? The amygdala is involved in controlling social and sexual behavior and emotions. The other related areas of the brain are involved in emotion and cognition. Limitations of Study The Emory researchers noted that their study had limitations which included small sample size and the inclusion of the participants of two female subjects who were not currently in drug treatment programs. Although the investigators admitted that conclusions related to possible gender differences cue-induced drug craving associated with cocaine dependence should be considered as highly preliminary, they think the differences detected in the study may support the need to develop gender-specific strategies to treat drug abuse. Metabolic and Absorption Differences Other studies have found biological differences in how cocaine is absorbed and metabolized by men and women, and therefore affects men and women differently. One study found that the gender differences in cocaines effects were due to a combination of metabolic differences and the greater physical barrier to cocaine absorption created by increased mucus in the nasal passages caused by menstrual hormonal changes.?? That study also suggested that treatment strategies for cocaine abuse should be different for women and men. Learn About Women Seeking Recovery from Addiction