The craving for drugs in men and women has different roots
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Scientists from the Yale School of Medicine, as a result of a new study, concluded that stress is caused by the development of cocaine dependence in women, in contrast to men who have the main reason for the development of drug dependence - the systematic use of drugs.
As it turned out, in drug-dependent women, stressful situations activate the same areas of the brain, activation of which occurs when taking drugs.
The results of the study are published in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
"This study shows that the treatment of people with drug dependence who are experiencing a stress-induced craving for drugs and people whose craving for drugs is induced by drugs themselves must be different It is important to understand the biological mechanisms underlying the emergence of dependence," - said the author of the study, professor of psychiatry Mark Potenza
With the help of functional magnetic resonance imaging, scientists conducted a scan of the brain of 66 people, 30 of whom suffered from a dependence on cocaine and 36 healthy people. The researchers found that when modeling stressful situations in addicted people, the activation of brain areas associated with cravings for drugs was higher compared to healthy people. And in men and women, these activation patterns differed markedly.
The results of the study showed that women with cocaine dependence could better cope with the disease by directing their efforts to reduce stress, while men would benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy.