It is known that the brain is vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of chronic alcohol use. Neuroadaptations associated with AUD span multiple brain regions and neurotransmitter systems. For example, individuals with AUD have long-lasting alterations in brain chemistry and lower brain volume and cortical thickness (e.g., dopamine [DA], prefrontal cortex [PFC], white and gray matter) compared to healthy controls (Heinz, Beck, Grüsser, Grace, & Wrase, 2009; Hillmer, Mason, Fucito, O'Malley, & Cosgrove, 2015; Mackey et al., 2018; Nixon, Prather, & Lewis, 2014). Regarding sex, literature dating back nearly two decades suggests that women may be more vulnerable to the neurotoxic effect of alcohol on the brain compared to men; although results are mixed (Hommer, Momenan, Kaiser, & Rawlings, 2001; Mann et al., 2005). Nonetheless, the effect of sex on alcohol-related abnormalities in brain neurochemistry and morphometry remains critically understudied in the last decade.
