Why Are Alcoholics More Often Men?
Monday, October 18, 2010 - 10:20
in Psychology & Sociology
Alcohol is among the most commonly abused substances and men are almost twice as likely as women to develop alcoholism but there have been no clear reasons for this difference. A new study in Biological Psychiatry says that it may be biological and that dopamine is an important factor. Dopamine is a catecholamine, molecules that serve as hormones and neurotransmitters, and is a precursor of adrenaline. Dopamine has multiple functions in the brain but the researchers considered it important in their research on a biology of alcoholism because of its pleasurable effects when it is released by rewarding experiences, such as sex or drugs. read more
