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dopamine

·November 12, 2025·5 min read

Estrogen Shapes Dopamine Reward Learning

A new study shows that estrogen naturally modulates dopamine signaling in the brain, altering how female rats learn reward cues across the reproductive cycle. When estrogen levels were high, dopamine responses in the reward center intensified, improving learning.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·November 4, 2025·6 min read

BrainSTEM Atlas Maps Every Cell of the Developing Human Brain

Scientists have built one of the most comprehensive single-cell maps of the developing human brain. The new BrainSTEM framework analyzed nearly 680,000 fetal brain cells to chart their growth and interactions, offering a detailed reference for studying neuron development.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 28, 2025·7 min read

Dopamine Boost Makes People More Patient

In one of the largest studies of its kind, researchers found that increasing dopamine levels with L-DOPA made people slightly more willing to wait for larger, delayed rewards—reducing impulsive decisions by about 20%. The study challenges earlier research suggesting that dopamine increases impulsivity, showing instead that it promotes patience and long-term thinking.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 25, 2025·4 min read

Dopamine Links Social Isolation to Brain Myelin Damage

A new five-year study explores how dopamine may drive changes in brain myelin during social isolation. Researchers will track how dopamine interacts with oligodendrocytes, the cells responsible for producing myelin and supporting neuron function.

This shows a robotic had with MOF neurons and glowing neurotrasmission flow.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 4, 2025·4 min read

Metal–Organic Framework Neurons Mimic Brain Signals with Dopamine

Researchers have developed the first metal–organic framework (MOF) neuron that mimics brain-like behavior in aqueous environments by responding to dopamine. Unlike traditional solid-state devices, this MOF neuron reproduces key neural functions such as synaptic plasticity, integrate-and-fire signaling, and dopamine-tuned spike modulation.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 28, 2025·5 min read

Immune Cells Found to Shape Teen Brain Circuits

Adolescence is a critical period for the brain’s frontal cortex, where executive functions mature and vulnerabilities to psychiatric disorders emerge. A new study shows that microglia, the brain’s immune cells, directly shape dopamine circuits during this time by strengthening axonal connections.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 27, 2025·6 min read

Overactive Neurons May Drive Parkinson’s Cell Death

A new study shows that overactivation of dopamine-producing neurons in the brain can trigger their degeneration, mirroring what happens in Parkinson’s disease. Using a mouse model, researchers found that chronic activation disrupted daily activity patterns, damaged neuronal axons, and eventually killed cells in the substantia nigra.

This shows a brain with a neutral network spreading from the PFC. A drink glass is behind the brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 16, 2025·5 min read

Boosting Prefrontal Dopamine Shows Promise in Cutting Alcohol Use

A new study reveals that tolcapone, a dopamine-enhancing drug, strengthens brain circuits involved in self-control while reducing alcohol intake in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The drug boosts activity in the inferior frontal gyrus, part of the prefrontal cortex, which supports inhibitory control.

This illustration shows a woman pulling at her hair with a brain and the NAc highlighted. The dopamine structure is in the background.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 16, 2025·5 min read

Dopamine Imbalance in the Brain May Drive Trichotillomania

A new study using SAPAP3 knockout mice sheds light on the brain mechanisms that may drive trichotillomania, or hair-pulling disorder. These mice displayed compulsive grooming, heightened aggression, and stress-sensitive behaviors, mirroring human TTM traits—particularly in females.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 19, 2025·4 min read

Flavored Vapes Trigger Reward Centers Even Without Nicotine

A new study shows that some e-cigarette flavorings, like vanilla and cherry, can trigger reward-seeking behaviors in adolescent mice even without nicotine. Researchers found that these flavors alone could activate the brain’s dopamine system, raising concerns about their potential for fostering addiction-like behavior.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 19, 2025·6 min read

More Than Serotonin: How Psychedelics Engage the Whole Brain

Classical psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline are known for activating the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, but a new study reveals their effects go far beyond. Researchers profiled 41 psychedelics against over 300 human receptors and found potent activity at serotonin, dopamine, and adrenergic sites.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 16, 2025·5 min read

How Dopamine Shapes Risky Reward Behaviors

Not all animals respond to reward cues the same way — some fixate on the cue itself, while others head straight for the reward. New research reveals that “sign trackers,” animals drawn to the cue, rely on dopamine in a specific brain region to form these associations, unlike “goal trackers,” who use a dopamine-independent mechanism.