How addiction risk may differ by gender

Girls' brains work harder to shift states, while boys' shift too easily — both raising risk

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A new study has found differing patterns in the brain activity of boys and girls with a family history of substance use disorder, reflecting distinct ways in which they may be predisposed to addiction long before substance use begins.

Findings published in the journal Nature Mental Health “may help explain why boys and girls often follow different paths toward substance use and addiction”, said senior author Amy Kuceyeski, professor of mathematics and neuroscience in the department of radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, US.