Alcohol Changes Brain Activity Differently in Males and Females

,


The amygdala, a region of the brain, is linked to both anxiety and melancholy, two emotions that are frequently related with alcoholism. The effects of oscillations, or changes in coordinated brain activity, between areas like the amygdala and prefrontal cortex are observable in both rodents and humans. However, it is unclear how alcohol could impact the amygdala network and effect behavior.

Drinking mice

In male and female mice, alcohol has varied effects on amygdala activity. DiLeo and colleagues, eNeuro 2022

After giving mice alcohol, Alyssa DiLeo and her team observed changes in oscillatory states in the amygdala. In male and female mice, and notably after repeated alcohol treatment, alcohol had distinct effects on amygdala oscillations. In fact, repeated alcohol treatment had no effect at all on the oscillatory state of females.

The experiment was replicated on mice lacking a receptor subunit linked to anxiety and alcohol use, which caused features of the female network activity in male animals. These findings suggest that alcohol can affect the amygdala's activity states, which may lead to alterations in anxious and phobic behavior.

Alyssa DiLeo, Pantelis Antonoudiou, Spencer Ha, and Jamie L. Maguire, "Sex Differences in the Alcohol-Mediated Modulation of BLA Network States," 4 July 2022, eNeuro.

By SOCIETY FOR NEUROSCIENCE 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Do You Sleep on Your Back or Side? Here's The Research on 'Optimal' Sleep Positions

Image
William Dement, a renowned sleep researcher at Stanford University, is quoted as saying that after 50 years of study, the only reason he can think of for why we sleep is "because we become sleepy." Sleep certainly matters for our health and wellbeing even though it may be, as one researcher put it, "the sole major habit in quest of a function." Do we, however, have it right? What do studies on sleeping positions say? Is there a proper sleeping position? The majority of people favor sleeping on their side. This is encouraging news because people who sleep on their backs are more likely to have trouble falling asleep or breathing during the night. Most of the time, we have a tendency to shift around quite a bit at night. According to a study involving 664 sleepers, on average, participants slept on their side 54% of the time, their back 37% of the time, and their front 7% of the time. Males are more likely to change positions throughout the night and move their arms, ...
Read more

The Science of Beards

Image
Here are a few facts that scientists have learned about beards as the world prepares to celebrate amazing facial hair on World Beard Day (September 3). Strong Manly Beard Men who have beards appear to be more dominant, aggressive, and strong, according to numerous studies[1][2][3] that have been conducted. In fact, men claim that growing facial hair makes them feel[4] more manly. Men who choose to grow beards tend to have higher testosterone levels than men who choose to keep their faces clean-shaven, according to research. They are also more likely to be hostile sexists, or to support the patriarchy and male dominance, as well as to believe that women belong in the kitchen, according to research on this topic. The beards (and muscles) on these males might be used to enforce gender roles. Professor R. D. Guthrie proposed in his book "Evolution of human threat display organs" from the 1970s that beards could be utilized to scare male rivals by improving aggressive and threaten...
Read more

Scientists Uncover a Surprising Connection Between Appetite and Sun Exposure

Image
Recent studies from Tel Aviv University show that women are not affected by sun exposure on their hunger levels, but males are. The study shows how the metabolic pathway is engaged differently in men and women. It was carried out utilizing lab models. Males of both animal and human species, as well as those exposed to the sun, are reportedly triggered to produce a protein called p53 that repairs any DNA damage that may have been done to the skin as a result of the exposure. The body produces the hunger-inducing hormone ghrelin in response to p53 activation. In females, the hormone estrogen stops p53 from interacting with ghrelin, preventing the desire to eat after being in the sun. The ground-breaking investigation was directed by professor Carmit Levy and Ph.D. candidate Shivang Parikh of the Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine. In addition to the Tel Aviv Sourasky (Ichilov), Assuta, Meir, and Sheba Medical Centers, Drs. Yiftach Gepne...
Read more