Addicts' Cravings have Different Roots in Men and Women

About SCOR

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are chronic relapsing illnesses with devastating psychosocial, health and societal consequences. Differential susceptibility to SUDs in men and women is well known. Historically, prevalence of disorders such as cocaine abuse is higher in men than women, but emerging evidence indicates that adolescents girls are as likely or slightly more likely to use and abuse substances, such as cocaine, than adolescent boys. Stress is a major factor increasing the vulnerability to develop SUDs in girls and in women. Our previous work at the Yale Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) on Sex-Specific Factors Affecting Women’s Health indicates that females are more vulnerable to the addictive properties of abusive drugs and that stress markers such as early trauma and altered stress neurobiology plays a pivotal role in the continued drug use and relapse cycle in women.

In the current SCOR, we are conducting translational research to systematically examine mechanisms of such increased vulnerability in girls and in women. Using interdisciplinary approaches, the work of the SCOR includes examination of early life risk factors such as prenatal drug exposure on brain development and stress vulnerabilities and risk for future substance use behaviors, and the impact of sex hormones and stress hormones on cocaine reinforcement and the risk of  cocaine relapse in cocaine dependent men and women. A better understanding of these sex-specific mechanisms will contribute to the development of new treatments and prevention strategies. The major scientific goals are:

1. to examine sex differences in the neural and psychobiological effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on stress responses affecting risk of developing SUDs;
2. to evaluate the effects of sex-specific factors in the association between stress, drug seeking and vulnerability to cocaine relapse; and
3. to build scientific collaborations through consultation and research support so as to increase the study of sex-specific effects on stress and drug abuse among investigators locally, regionally and nationally

These goals are being addressed through Core resources to support gender based research on stress and substance use disorders and by addressing the aims outlined in four scientific projects.

PROJECT 1: Sex and Stress Mechanisms of Vulnerability to Addiction (PI: Jane Taylor, Ph.D./Co-PI: Peter Olausson, Ph.D.).

PROJECT 2: Sex Differences in Stress Arousal in Cocaine-exposed Youth At-risk for Addiction (PI: Linda Mayes, MD).

PROJECT 3: Sex Differences in fMRI of Stress in Cocaine-Exposed Youth At-Risk for Addiction (PI: Marc Potenza, M.D., Ph.D.).

PROJECT 4: Sex Differences in Progesterone’s Effects on Responses to Stress and Drug Cues (PI: Rajita Sinha, Ph.D./Co-PI: Mehmet Sofuoglu, M.D., Ph.D.).

Rajita Sinha, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychiatry and Child Study and Director of the Yale Stress Center, is the Principal Investigator and Director of the SCOR. Carolyn Mazure, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of Women's Health Research at Yale is Co-director of the SCOR. Other lead investigators associated with the SCOR at Yale include Jane Taylor, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry; Linda Mayes, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Child Psychiatry and Psychology, Marc Potenza, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Child Study, Mehmet Sofuoglu, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and Peter Olausson, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist.

Investigators interested in participating in the SCOR may send e-mail to keri.tuit@ yale.edu for more information.