Recent neuroscience research highlights sex-specific microglial responses to stress and chronic alcohol exposure in mice, uncovering critical neurobiological differences by gender. In parallel, novel findings demonstrate alcohol’s distinct impacts on brain dopamine levels between males and females. Investigations also reveal memantine’s ability to mitigate methamphetamine-induced social and recognition memory deficits in rats, while epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) shows potential neuroprotective effects against diazinon neurotoxicity through gene regulation pathways. These insights deepen understanding of substance effects on neural function and potential therapeutic targets.