title: Impact of gender on corticotropin-releasing factor and noradrenergic sensitivity in cocaine use disorder.
abstract: Responses to stress may be important in understanding gender differences in substance use disorders and may also be a target for development of treatment interventions. A growing body of both preclinical and clinical research supports important underlying gender differences in the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and noradrenergic systems, which may contribute to drug use. Preclinical models have demonstrated increased sensitivity of females to CRF and noradrenergic-induced drug reinstatement compared with males, and, consistent with these findings, human laboratory studies have demonstrated greater sensitivity to corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and noradrenergic stimulation in cocaine-dependent women compared with men. Furthermore, neuroimaging studies have demonstrated increased neural response to stressful stimuli in cocaine-dependent women compared with men as well as showing significant sex differences in the sensitivity of brain regions responsible for regulating the response to CRH. Development of interventions targeting the noradrenergic system and stress response in drug-dependent individuals could have important clinical implications for both women and men. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Aimee L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: McRae-Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Angie M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cason
authors.affiliation: Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Amy S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kohtz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moran Santa-Maria
authors.affiliation: Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aston-Jones
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
authors.forename: Kathleen T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Brady
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D009638:Norepinephrine
keywords: corticotropin-releasing hormone; guanfacine; norepinephrine; translational; yohimbine