UTA researchers study how fluctuating hormones affect female vulnerability to cocaine addiction
Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington are studying how fluctuating estrogen levels make females increasingly sensitive to the rewarding effects of cocaine and ultimately, vulnerable to cocaine addiction. Repeated administrations of cocaine cause molecular neuroadaptations in the brain that trigger changes in behavior aimed towards obtaining more of the drug, primarily affecting the dopamine reward system. Long-term exposure to the drug can create permanent changes in brain circuitry and intracellular responses, causing the individual to maintain a neurobiological