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.

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 dopamine release than women.  [read more ]