Boys, girls may be predisposed to substance use addiction in differing ways, brain scans reveal

NEW DELHI: (Nov 24) A new study has found differing patterns in the brain activity of boys and girls with a family history of substance use disorder, reflecting distinct ways in which they may be predisposed to addiction long before substance use begins.

Findings published in the journal Nature Mental Health “may help explain why boys and girls often follow different paths toward substance use and addiction”, said senior author Amy Kuceyeski, professor of mathematics and neuroscience in the department of radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College, US.

Researchers measured how the brain transitions between different patterns of activity during rest. Brain scans of nearly 1,900 children aged nine to eleven from the US’ ‘Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development’ study were analysed.

Source: PTI News

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