Motherhood May Dilute Effects of Cocaine, University of Michigan Study

Mother rats respond much differently to cocaine than female rats that have never given birth, new research shows. The findings may help lay the groundwork for more tailored human addiction treatment, scientists say. The study identified clear differences in how intensely the “pleasure centers” in the mother rats’ brains reacted to the drug, compared with non-mothers. Mother rats’ brains released less of the chemical dopamine, which helps cause the drug’s high.

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