Sex differences in dopamine systems involved in motivation and reward

• Published in: Handbook of Behavioral Neuroscience Vol. 32; pp. 383 - 393
• Main Authors: Turner, Christopher A., Bass, Noah, Gonzalez, Ivette L., Becker, Jill B.
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Science & Technology 2025
• Subjects: Addiction; Behavioral neuroscience; Female reproductive endocrinology; Gender; Neuroscience; Neuroscience; Gender; Addiction; Female reproductive endocrinology; Behavioral neuroscience
• ISBN: 9780443298677; 044329867X
• ISSN: 1569-7339
• DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-443-29867-7.00038-4

In this chapter, we briefly discuss how to study sex differences as well as the four types of sex differences before discussing sex differences in dopamine regions involved in the reward system. There we discuss the development of sex differences in dopamine receptors and how ovarian hormones can modulate dopamine release and dopamine receptor function. We then discuss sex differences in motivated behavior in males and females, looking at rodents and humans. Gonadal hormones differentially affect dopamine receptor activity and stimulate dopamine release in specific brain regions, and this occurs differently in males and females. We discuss sex differences and hormonal influences on dopamine functions involved in motivation for food, sexual behavior, and drugs of abuse in rodents and in humans.