Sex Differences in the Neurobiology of Alcohol Use Disorder

Annabelle Flores-Bonilla and Heather N. Richardson

From adolescence onward, women and men demonstrate different patterns of vulnerability to alcohol use disorder. Evidence now suggests that these patterns may be related to sex differences in the neurobiology of AUD and that these differences are present at every stage of the disorder, from earliest intoxication to severe AUD. In this article, the authors review the latest research on sex differences in the neurobiology of AUD and how these complex interactions mediate vulnerability to this serious disorder.