Neural Correlates of Stress and Alcohol Cue-Induced Alcohol Craving and of Future Heavy Drinking: Evidence of Sex Differences

What is it about?

Alcohol use disorder is associated with disrupted stress and alcohol cue reactivity and poor treatment outcomes. We found that sex differences in stress- and cue-related responses in the cortico-striatal-limbic network related to subjective alcohol craving and to heavy drinking indicated that distinct brain circuits underlie alcohol use outcomes in women and men. These findings underscore the need for sex-specific therapeutics to address this neural dysfunction effectively.

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