Sex and Hormonal Status Influence the Persistence of Addiction in Animal Models

In this issue of Biological Psychiatry, Nicolas et  al. (1) add to a growing literature demonstrating the importance of sex and gonadal hormones in the development of substance use disorders. Their study focused on the incubation of cocaine craving in male versus female rats tested at different estrous cycle phases. Overall, they showed that estrou s cyclicity significantly altered cocaine craving (or seeking) after a drug-free period. From a translational perspective, these incubation of craving and self-administration procedures model several key features of human substance use.
Source: Biological Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Early Career Investigator Commentary Source Type: research