A new rodent study uncovers a neural circuit in the brain that appears to govern pain-induced anhedonia. Altering the activity of this circuit restored motivation in pre-clinical models of pain.
Dopamine-controlled fan cells in the lateral entorhinal cortex are required for the formation of associative memories.
Researchers identified specific receptors for acetylcholine that reroute information flow through memory circuits in the hippocampus. The findings could have implications for the development of drugs to help enhance or protect memory from diseases associated with cognitive decline.
A new study finds dopamine increases responses to stressful stimuli, not just pleasurable ones. The findings could have implications for the treatment of mental health disorders and addiction.
By training mice to voluntarily increase the size and frequency of dopamine impulses in their brains, researchers demonstrated dopamine increases can be driven by internally mediated changes within the brain.
Researchers have identified a new reward system in the brain. The study found long-range GABA neurons from the ventral tegmental area to the ventral nucleus accumbens shell are engaged in reward and reinforcement behaviors. This GABAergic projection inhibits cholinergic interneurons.
The delicate balance between learning new behaviors and expressing old habits is controlled by two different populations of neurons in the dorsolateral striatum.
Study reveals the precise hypothalamic neurons associated with mating motivation in mice. The findings could lead to new treatments for psychiatric disorders which do not impact libido.
Studying red junglefowl chicks, researchers conclude impulsivity is linked to both gene expression and early life experiences.
Study reveals how dopamine may have a central role in maintaining our consciousness.
Study highlights the role dopamine receptors play in motivation and decision making.
Non-invasive brain stimulation, such as rTMS, helps to reduce smoking frequency in nicotine-dependent people, a new study reports. Stimulating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation significantly reduced smoking frequency.
