Study links gender-specific brain activity patterns to early addiction risk

A new study has identified clear differences in brain activity between boys and girls who have a family history of substance use disorders.

The findings suggest that each group may be vulnerable to addiction in distinct ways long before they begin using substances.

The research, published in Nature Mental Health, examined how the brain shifts between different activity patterns during rest.

Nearly 1,900 children aged nine to eleven from the US-based Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study were included.

Senior author Amy Kuceyeski said the results “may help explain why boys and girls often follow different paths toward substance use and addiction.” Kuceyeski is a professor of mathematics and neuroscience in the department of radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College.

The study found that girls with a family history of substance use disorder had higher transition energy in the brain’s default-mode network. This network is active during daydreaming or inward-focused thinking. Higher transition energy suggests their brains may need more effort to shift away from internal thoughts.

First author Louisa Schilling said, “That may mean (a) greater difficulty disengaging from negative internal states like stress or rumination. Such inflexibility could set the stage for later risk, when substances are used as a way to escape or self-soothe.”

In contrast, boys with a family history showed lower transition energy in the brain’s attention networks, which guide focus and responses to external cues. According to Kuceyeski, “Their brains seem to require less effort to switch states, which might sound good, but it may lead to unrestrained behaviour. They may be more reactive to their environment and more drawn to rewarding or stimulating experiences.”

She added, “Girls may have a harder time stepping on the brakes, while boys may find it easier to step on the gas when it comes to risky behaviours and addiction.”

The researchers noted that these brain differences appeared before any substance use began. This suggests an inherited or early-life environmental influence rather than the impact of drugs. The authors wrote, “Females with a family history showed higher (transition energy) in the default mode network, whereas males showed lower (transition energy) in dorsal and ventral attention networks.”

The study highlights how sex-specific factors can shape brain development and influence vulnerability to substance use disorders. Kuceyeski said, “Recognising that boys and girls may travel different neural roads toward the same disorder can help tailor how we intervene. For example, programmes for girls might focus on coping with internal stress, while for boys the emphasis might be on attention and impulse control.”