Latest

dopamine

·October 1, 2023·3 min read

Neuro-Insights of the Week From Neuroscience News, October 1, 2023

This week in neuroscience offers groundbreaking insights: "Game of Thrones" enthusiasts, when lonely, neurologically equate favorite characters to real friends; there's a common brain circuit among different substance disorders; the hippocampus plays a central role in memory variations; and ChatGPT-4 impresses with its ability to craft deeply personal narratives, offering a fresh perspective in therapeutic contexts.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 27, 2023·4 min read

Choosing Needs Over Wants: How Dopamine Decides

Researchers unveiled the brain's ability to prioritize needs over wants using the dopamine reward system. This study, observing a male zebra finch's shift from quenching thirst to courting when faced with a female, sheds light on the flexible nature of the dopamine system.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 19, 2023·4 min read

Dopamine’s Decision Role: Faster but Flawed Choices

Recent research reveals dopamine's role in the speed and accuracy of decision-making processes. When dopamine release was elevated, decisions were made faster but with increased inaccuracy.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·September 15, 2023·6 min read

Parkinson’s Onset Theory Challenged: Synaptic Dysfunction Before Neuron Death

Contrary to the widely held belief that Parkinson’s disease originates from the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons, a new study suggests a precursor: synaptic dysfunction. This revelation unveils the dysfunction of dopaminergic synapses prior to neurodegeneration.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 11, 2023·5 min read

Dopamine Tunes the Brain for Both Singing and Speech

Contrary to popular belief, speech and singing use overlapping brain circuits, primarily located in the left hemisphere. This discovery challenges the 50-year notion that the right hemisphere supports the singing ability in aphasia patients.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 11, 2023·6 min read

Dopamine’s Role in Unrewarded Learning

Researchers uncovered that dopamine, the “feel-good” hormone typically associated with rewards, plays a vital role in learning even without immediate incentives. The study discovered that dopamine and acetylcholine, both crucial for memory and learning, maintain a dynamic balance in the brain irrespective of external rewards.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 3, 2023·5 min read

Adolescence’s Impact on Adult Dopamine Function and Impulsivity

In a novel study, researchers reveal a sensitive developmental phase during adolescence that significantly influences adult impulsivity, aggression, and dopamine function in mice. This study highlights the implications of stimulant drug exposure during this period.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 3, 2023·6 min read

Beyond Reward, Dopamine Drives Movement

Researchers discovered a genetic subtype of dopamine neurons that fires during movement, contrary to the long-standing belief that dopamine neurons primarily respond to rewards. This groundbreaking discovery has implications for Parkinson's disease, a disorder characterized by the loss of dopamine neurons affecting the motor system.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 18, 2023·4 min read

Study Challenges Longstanding Beliefs About Action of Antipsychotic Medications

Researchers uncovered a pivotal detail that could revolutionize schizophrenia treatment. Contrary to longstanding belief, antipsychotic drugs that mitigate overactive dopamine, a hallmark of schizophrenia, interact primarily with a different type of neuron than originally assumed.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 18, 2023·4 min read

Parkinson’s Stealth: The Decade-long Silent Progress Before Symptoms Arise

New findings suggests that Parkinson's disease may silently progress for over a decade before symptoms appear. The study found that movement circuits in the brain can maintain function even with a drastic reduction of active dopamine secretion, a phenomenon contrary to popular belief.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 20, 2023·3 min read

Disappointment Fuels Drive: Dopamine’s Role in Overcoming Failure

A new study reveals a novel role of dopamine: helping to cope with disappointment. Traditionally associated with reward reinforcement, this research shows dopamine levels in rats increase following disappointing outcomes, enhancing motivation.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 12, 2023·4 min read

Obesity and the Brain: Stubborn Dopamine Responses Hamper Weight Loss

The brain responses to specific nutrients are significantly diminished in individuals with obesity, even after weight loss. The study found that those with obesity released less dopamine in areas of the brain crucial for food intake motivation, compared to their healthy-weight counterparts.