Motherhood may dampen cocaine’s effects on the brain

Having a baby may do more than just change a woman’s behavior; her brain chemistry may undergo some distinct changes as well.

New research from the University of Michigan has revealed that motherhood may dampen the effects of cocaine use – a discovery that could lead to more customized drug therapies to fight addiction.

“We know there are sex differences in the way men and women respond to drugs in the brain,” Jennifer Cummings, a research investigator at the Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute and lead author of the study, told FoxNews.com.  “We want to make sure we have gender specific treatments so we can tailor them towards men and women.”

According to Cummings, more and more research has been dedicated to studying the physiological and behavioral effects that motherhood can have on women.  Growing research has revealed that hormone changes during pregnancy can actually boost abilities such as memory and the ability to navigate.