Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances
Sex and gender deeply affect the subjective effects and pharmaco-toxicological responses to drugs. Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs and to present to emergency departments for serious or fatal intoxications. However, women are just as likely as men to develop s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/9/606 |
| _version_ | 1797554717812850688 |
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| author | Liana Fattore Matteo Marti Rafaela Mostallino Maria Paola Castelli |
| author_facet | Liana Fattore Matteo Marti Rafaela Mostallino Maria Paola Castelli |
| author_sort | Liana Fattore |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sex and gender deeply affect the subjective effects and pharmaco-toxicological responses to drugs. Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs and to present to emergency departments for serious or fatal intoxications. However, women are just as likely as men to develop substance use disorders, and may be more susceptible to craving and relapse. Clinical and preclinical studies have shown important differences between males and females after administration of “classic” drugs of abuse (e.g., Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), morphine, cocaine). This scenario has become enormously complicated in the last decade with the overbearing appearance of the new psychoactive substances (NPS) that have emerged as alternatives to regulated drugs. To date, more than 900 NPS have been identified, and can be catalogued in different pharmacological categories including synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic stimulants (cathinones and amphetamine-like), hallucinogenic phenethylamines, synthetic opioids (fentanyls and non-fentanyls), new benzodiazepines and dissociative anesthetics (i.e., methoxetamine and phencyclidine-derivatives). This work collects the little knowledge reached so far on the effects of NPS in male and female animal and human subjects, highlighting how much sex and gender differences in the effects of NPS has yet to be studied and understood. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:36:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8e9421f77094438891e6b281b0e9af8e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:36:01Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-8e9421f77094438891e6b281b0e9af8e2023-11-20T12:28:34ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252020-09-0110960610.3390/brainsci10090606Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive SubstancesLiana Fattore0Matteo Marti1Rafaela Mostallino2Maria Paola Castelli3Institute of Neuroscience-Cagliari, National Research Council (CNR), Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Legal Medicine and LTTA Center, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Division of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato, Cagliari, ItalySex and gender deeply affect the subjective effects and pharmaco-toxicological responses to drugs. Men are more likely than women to use almost all types of illicit drugs and to present to emergency departments for serious or fatal intoxications. However, women are just as likely as men to develop substance use disorders, and may be more susceptible to craving and relapse. Clinical and preclinical studies have shown important differences between males and females after administration of “classic” drugs of abuse (e.g., Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), morphine, cocaine). This scenario has become enormously complicated in the last decade with the overbearing appearance of the new psychoactive substances (NPS) that have emerged as alternatives to regulated drugs. To date, more than 900 NPS have been identified, and can be catalogued in different pharmacological categories including synthetic cannabinoids, synthetic stimulants (cathinones and amphetamine-like), hallucinogenic phenethylamines, synthetic opioids (fentanyls and non-fentanyls), new benzodiazepines and dissociative anesthetics (i.e., methoxetamine and phencyclidine-derivatives). This work collects the little knowledge reached so far on the effects of NPS in male and female animal and human subjects, highlighting how much sex and gender differences in the effects of NPS has yet to be studied and understood.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/9/606NPSsex/gender differencescannabinoidscathinonesphenethylaminesopioids |
| spellingShingle | Liana Fattore Matteo Marti Rafaela Mostallino Maria Paola Castelli Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances Brain Sciences NPS sex/gender differences cannabinoids cathinones phenethylamines opioids |
| title | Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances |
| title_full | Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances |
| title_fullStr | Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances |
| title_short | Sex and Gender Differences in the Effects of Novel Psychoactive Substances |
| title_sort | sex and gender differences in the effects of novel psychoactive substances |
| topic | NPS sex/gender differences cannabinoids cathinones phenethylamines opioids |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/10/9/606 |
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