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Cocaine abuse in women has been increasing over the last decade. A study in Neuropsychopharmacology (January 2004) points out that there are well documented gender differences in patterns of cocaine use and addiction. For example, 'women begin using cocaine at an earlier age than men; after first use they take less time to become addicted, they enter treatment at a younger age than men, and when they present for treatment, they have a more severe habit than men.'
The researchers from the University of Michigan describe that cocaine cues induce more drug craving in female than male addicts and that it appears that women are more vulnerable than men to psychostimulant drugs during all phases of the addiction process (eg initiation, maintenance, and relapse). In this study, they took these concepts and applied them to male and female rats to look for some clues as to why this is so. They found that female rats are also more sensitive to the psychomotor activating effects of psychostimulants than are male rats and with repeated drug treatment they show greater psychomotor sensitization. The brain concentrations of cocaine after systemic administration are comparable for male and female rats, so pharmacokinetic sex differences do not account for the behavioral differences.
They believe that the organizational effects of gonadal hormones during development and/or genetically guided neurodevelopmental processes may lead to intrinsic sex differences in brain systems that mediate drug reward, especially the mesotelencephalic dopamine system, may account for the sex differences in behavior. They also point out that the relative role of circulating estradiol vs intrinsic sex differences may vary depending on the stage in the addiction process and noted that in female rats, but not males, circulating gonadal hormones modulate drug-taking behavior. Estradiol promotes avid drug self-administration.
The scientists conclude by suggesting that 'it will be very important in future studies to delineate the exact neurobiological mechanisms responsible for sex differences in drug-related behaviors, at different phases of the addiction cycle, because these sex differences may require the development of sex-specific strategies for intervention and treatment.'
8:51:46 PM 
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