Scientists have found that females appear to become dependent on cocaine more easily than males, and they also find it much more difficult to quit. An article published in Biology of Sex Differences demonstrated this position in an animal experiment.
They found that female rats are willing to work a great deal harder than their male counterparts for their next cocaine fix.
Scientists at Michigan University's Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute found that rats bred to have higher stress responses and higher impulsiveness can more readily be taught to reward themselves with cocaine. These rats are more determined than rats with lower stress responses and less impulsivity in going after their next dose.
Cocaine addiction is not only closely linked to impulsivity and thrill seeking, it is affected by the differences between the sexes too.
When male and female rats were given low doses, the females learnt self-administration much faster than the males; they were also willing to go to much further lengths for their next fix.
The differences were much less evident when doses were higher, the authors wrote.
Dr. Jennifer Cummings explained that certain personality types are definitely factors for a predisposition towards drug addiction, but "An individual's sex continues to increase the likelihood of drug abuse."
"Effects of a selectively bred novelty-seeking phenotype on the motivation to take cocaine in male and female rats"
Jennifer A Cummings, Brooke A Gowl, Christel Westenbroek, Sarah M Clinton, Huda Akiland and Jill B Becker
Biology of Sex Differences
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