Sex Differences in Behavioral Dyscontrol: Role in Drug Addiction and Novel Treatments
- PMID: 26903885
- PMCID: PMC4745113
- DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00175
Sex Differences in Behavioral Dyscontrol: Role in Drug Addiction and Novel Treatments
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to discuss recent findings related to sex differences in behavioral dyscontrol that lead to drug addiction, and clinical implications for humans are discussed. This review includes research conducted in animals and humans that reveals fundamental aspects of behavioral dyscontrol. The importance of sex differences in aspects of behavioral dyscontrol, such as impulsivity and compulsivity, is discussed as major determinants of drug addiction. Behavioral dyscontrol during adolescence is also an important consideration, as this is the time of onset for drug addiction. These vulnerability factors additively increase drug-abuse vulnerability, and they are integral aspects of addiction that covary and interact with sex differences. Sex differences in treatments for drug addiction are also reviewed in terms of their ability to modify the behavioral dyscontrol that underlies addictive behavior. Customized treatments to reduce behavioral dyscontrol are discussed, such as (1) using natural consequences such as non-drug rewards (e.g., exercise) to maintain abstinence, or using punishment as a consequence for drug use, (2) targeting factors that underlie behavioral dyscontrol, such as impulsivity or anxiety, by repurposing medications to relieve these underlying conditions, and (3) combining two or more novel behavioral or pharmacological treatments to produce additive reductions in drug seeking. Recent published work has indicated that factors contributing to behavioral dyscontrol are an important target for advancing our knowledge on the etiology of drug abuse, intervening with the drug addiction process and developing novel treatments.
Keywords: animal models; behavioral dyscontrol; drug addiction; food addiction; impulsivity; novel treatments; sex differences; sweet intake.
Similar articles
-
How to study sex differences in addiction using animal models.Addict Biol. 2016 Sep;21(5):1007-29. doi: 10.1111/adb.12400. Epub 2016 Jun 26. Addict Biol. 2016. PMID: 27345022 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Different mechanisms underlie compulsive alcohol self-administration in male and female rats.Biol Sex Differ. 2024 Feb 17;15(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s13293-024-00592-5. Biol Sex Differ. 2024. PMID: 38368341 Free PMC article.
-
The role of impulsive behavior in drug abuse.Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008 Sep;200(1):1-26. doi: 10.1007/s00213-008-1173-0. Epub 2008 Jul 5. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2008. PMID: 18600315 Review.
-
Sex differences and ovarian hormones in animal models of drug dependence.Horm Behav. 2010 Jun;58(1):44-56. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.10.001. Epub 2009 Oct 8. Horm Behav. 2010. PMID: 19818789 Review.
-
Abstinence-Conflict Model: Toward an Optimal Animal Model for Screening Medications Promoting Drug Abstinence.Int Rev Neurobiol. 2016;126:391-402. doi: 10.1016/bs.irn.2016.02.015. Epub 2016 Mar 17. Int Rev Neurobiol. 2016. PMID: 27055619 Review.
Cited by
-
The role of β-Nicotyrine in E-Cigarette abuse liability I: Drug Discrimination.bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jul 16:2024.07.12.603310. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.12.603310. bioRxiv. 2024. PMID: 39071347 Free PMC article. Preprint.
-
Estrous cycle and hormone regulation of stress-induced reinstatement of reward seeking in female mice.Addict Neurosci. 2022 Dec;4:100035. doi: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100035. Epub 2022 Sep 9. Addict Neurosci. 2022. PMID: 36540408 Free PMC article.
-
Neural Mechanisms Mediating Sex Differences in Motivation for Reward: Cognitive Bias, Food, Gambling, and Drugs of Abuse.J Neurosci. 2022 Nov 9;42(45):8477-8487. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1378-22.2022. J Neurosci. 2022. PMID: 36351834 Free PMC article.
-
The Role of Impulsivity and Reward Deficiency in "Liking" and "Wanting" of Potentially Problematic Behaviors and Substance Uses.Front Psychiatry. 2022 Apr 25;13:820836. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.820836. eCollection 2022. Front Psychiatry. 2022. PMID: 35546934 Free PMC article.
-
Effects of fentanyl on acute locomotor activity, behavioral sensitization, and contextual reward in female and male rats.Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021 Dec 1;229(Pt A):109101. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109101. Epub 2021 Sep 24. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021. PMID: 34628096 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Surgeon General’s Report. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) (2004).
-
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-46, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 13-4795. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; (2013).
-
- World Health Organization. Who Global Infobase. Geneva: World Health Organization; (2010).
Publication types
Grants and funding
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
