Amphetamines Have Bigger Impact on Male Brain

[hh339]

Amphetamines Have Bigger Impact on Male Brain
Finding may explain why men abuse these drugs more than women

By Robert Preidt

WEDNESDAY, April 12 (HealthDay News) -- Amphetamines appear to have a greater effect on male brains than female brains, a new study suggests.

"These appear to be the first clinical studies whose results may help explain why we see a greater number of men abusing amphetamines than women," study leader Dr. Gary S. Wand, professor of endocrinology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, said in a prepared statement.

The finding could also help in the development of tailored treatments for drug abuse and neurological diseases, the researchers said.

Wand's team used PET scans to observe the brains of 28 men and 15 women, ages 18 to 29. The study found evidence that, compared to women, men's brains released up to three times the amount of the neurotransmitter chemical dopamine when exposed to amphetamines.

Dopamine -- linked to the brain's pleasure system -- can increase heart rate and blood pressure and plays a critical role in the brain's control of movement. Drugs such as amphetamines and cocaine trigger the release of dopamine. Dopamine shortages are associated with memory loss, Parkinson's disease, depression and other mental illnesses.

In 2004, 6 percent of American males and 3.8 percent of females, 12 and older, illegally used amphetamines, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The findings may also explain the higher incidence of amphetamine-induced neurotoxicity in males compared to females, Wand said.

The study is expected to be published in the July 1 issue of the Journal of Biological Psychiatry .

http://www.hon.ch/News/HSN/532080.html

Reputation Comments on this post:

	very intersting
	Good find, interesting data

[~lostgurl~]

Then to make it fair, does this mean SWIM should have 3/4 of bag and SWIM's boyfriend have only 1/4 of bag? Sounds good to SWIM but her boyfriend could be a little harder to convince LOL

[Greenport]

Lol ~lostgurl~ is that not already how it works out?

xD most interesting though

[ninjaned]

swim has actually seen evidence of this but discarded it as coincidence. swims usual dose is 30 mg(IR) but two of swims female friends say that this does little for them(and swim has a bit of tolerance).

[Subvert]

SWIM's met a few female speed users who could definately handle more and we all did it on a daily basis.