Ovarian hormones and propensity to drug relapse: A review

Sex differences have been reported in various phases of substance abuse, including relapse. In general, women show greater propensity to drug relapse than men, owing perhaps to divergent withdrawal experiences and increased reactivity to internal (emotional) and external (drug-associated) cues. Anim...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews 2011-01, Vol.35 (3), p.427-436
Main Authors: Hudson, Amanda, Stamp, Jennifer A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addiction
Animals
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Estradiol
Estrogen Replacement Therapy
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gonadal Hormones - metabolism
Humans
Male
Menstrual Cycle - physiology
Ovarian hormones
Progesterone
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Reinstatement
Relapse
Sex Characteristics
Sex differences
Stress, Psychological - complications
Substance-Related Disorders - metabolism
Substance-Related Disorders - therapy
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Summary:Sex differences have been reported in various phases of substance abuse, including relapse. In general, women show greater propensity to drug relapse than men, owing perhaps to divergent withdrawal experiences and increased reactivity to internal (emotional) and external (drug-associated) cues. Animal research tends to parallel human findings, revealing enhanced reinstatement of drug administration in females than males. Moreover, differences in vulnerability to relapse/reinstatement have been documented in women and female rodents across the ovarian cycles. Thus ovarian hormones seem to play an important role in determining susceptibility to relapse. Indeed, ovarian hormones interact with many of the neural circuits implicated in drug-primed, cue-instigated, and stress-induced relapse. By understanding the effects of ovarian hormones on the neural and behavioral mechanisms of drug relapse, sex differences and cyclical variations in relapse susceptibility can be elucidated and more effective treatment strategies can be explored.
ISSN:0149-7634
1873-7528
DOI:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2010.05.001