Previously Drug Addicted Women Have Less Gray Matter in Brain

A new study releases further information on how prolonged drug abuse affects men and women differently. According to the study, which is published in the online journal Radiology, women who were previously dependent on substances had less gray matter in the brain than men who were also previously dependent.

Participants on the study underwent an MRI so researchers could analyze brain matter. The participants included 127 men and women who were previously dependent on drugs, and 68 men and women who were never dependent on drugs. The healthy men and women were necessary to include in the study so researchers could have a control group.

Researchers found that women who had been sober for 13.5 or more months had less gray matter. Lower gray matter often means the person has more reward behavioral tendencies, meaning they are more impulsive.

Countless studies have been conducted on the differences drug addiction has on men and women. It is important to understand how the brain and body react to drugs in both men and women so they can be treated effectively.