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“Hidden” sex differences in neurological reward pathways suggest opportunity for improved psychiatric therapeutics - EurekAlert


Researchers at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) discovered that male and female mice use distinct molecular mechanisms to strengthen connections between two brain regions—the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens—that are involved in reward-related behavior. These pathways play the same role in humans as they do in mice, and they are relevant to conditions like depression and substance abuse. Recognizing sex differences in these pathways could lead to more effective treatments, especially because female subjects have historically been underrepresented in medical studies—especially the animal studies required to precede clinical trials in humans.

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