Sex Differences in Ethanol Modulation of Dopamine Release in the Mesolimbic Reward System

Authors

Mandy Parsons, Brigham Young University
Justin Bowman, Brigham Young University
Scott Steffensen, Brigham Young University

Keywords

alcohol abuse, dopamine release, ethanol modulation, mesolimbic reward system, sex differences

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Alcohol abuse disorder is a ubiquitous problem affecting 15.1 million people in the United States, almost 10 million men and more than 15 million women (SAMHSA, 2015). The prevailing view of addiction, including alcohol addiction, is that an increase of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the nucleus accumbens within the brain has powerful rewarding effects. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effects of alcohol on dopamine release in female rats during the three phases of the estrus cycle in order to determine if alcohol is more rewarding at different points in the female hormone cycle.

Recommended Citation

Parsons, Mandy; Bowman, Justin; and Steffensen, Scott (2019) "Sex Differences in Ethanol Modulation of Dopamine Release in the Mesolimbic Reward System," Journal of Undergraduate Research: Vol. 2019: Iss. 2019, Article 46.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jur/vol2019/iss2019/46