Stimulants May Affect Women More Than Men

A recent study published in the journal Radiology examined brain scans of men and women who were previously addicted to stimulants such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and amphetamines. 

Researchers examined the brain scans of twenty-eight women and thirty-one men who were previously dependent on stimulants for an average of sixteen years. In addition, there was a control group comprised of twenty-eight women and forty men who were similar in age to the first group. In addition, according to HealthDay Reporter Carrie Myers, “all of the previously dependent men and women in the study had been abstinent from stimulant drug use for an average of 13.5 months at the time of the brain scans” (2015). 

The researchers found that, of the group of previous stimulant addicts, the women’s brains showed significantly less grey matter than the men’s brains, which showed “little to no changes” (Wilkerson, 2015). Dr. Jody Tanabe, professor of radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine stated that “gray matter is important because it is where signals are generated in the brain that gives us the ability to think, move, and behave” (Wilkerson, 2015). 

While the reasons for these changes in gray matter are still unclear, the study’s results suggest that women may be affected by stimulant drug use more than men in the long-term. 

Myers, C. (2015). Meth, coke addiction may affect brains of women more than men. Retrieved from http://www.news9.com/story/29542926/meth-coke-addiction-may-affect-brains-of-women-more-than-men

Wilkerson, M. (2015). Are women more affected than men by cocaine and meth addiction? Retrieved from http://www.thefix.com/content/are-women-more-affected-men-cocaine-and-meth-addiction