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Public release date: 22 october 2010
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Men’s higher alcoholism rate caused by brain’s pleasure chemical
A new study at Columbia and Yale universities says differences in the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine may
help explain why men are up to twice as likely as women to develop alcoholism
Dopamine, which plays a number of roles in the brain, provides a feeling of pleasure when it's released by experiences
such as having sex or taking drugs and may explain the higher alcoholism rate in men.
The study included male and female college-age volunteers who underwent brain scans after consuming an alcoholic
or non-alcoholic drink. After consuming similar amounts of alcohol, men showed greater rate dopamine release than women.
According to the researchers, the increased release occurred in a part of the brain called the ventral striatum,
which is strongly associated with pleasure, reinforcement and addiction formation.
Their findings were published in the Oct. 15 issue of Biological Psychiatry
"In men, increased dopamine release also had a stronger association with subjective positive effects of alcohol
intoxication," Dr. Nina Urban, a study co-author, said in a news release from the journal's publisher.
"This may contribute to the initial reinforcing properties of alcohol and the risk for habit formation."
The study also found that repeated heavy drinking episodes resulted in a decline in alcohol-induced dopamine
release. The researchers said this may be a factor in developing tolerance or becoming an alcoholic.
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