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dopamine

·December 1, 2023·5 min read

Dopamine’s Role in Learning from Rewards and Penalties

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, plays a vital role in encoding both reward and punishment prediction errors in the human brain. This study suggests that dopamine is essential for learning from both positive and negative experiences, enabling the brain to adapt behavior based on outcomes.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 2, 2023·7 min read

Sleepless Nights: The Brain’s Surprising Reaction to All-Nighters

unveiled the science behind the buoyant mood many feel after acute sleep deprivation, like pulling an all-nighter. The study in mice showed that not only does dopamine release rise during these short periods without sleep, but the brain also rewires itself, enhancing synaptic plasticity for several days.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 30, 2023·4 min read

Brain Waves: Acetylcholine and Dopamine’s Synchronized Dance in Striatum

Researchers unveiled a groundbreaking discovery in brain chemistry. They identified wave-like patterns of the neurochemical acetylcholine in the striatum, a region vital for motivating actions.

Featured Neuroscience

·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.

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dopamine

Dopamine’s Role in Learning from Rewards and Penalties

Sleepless Nights: The Brain’s Surprising Reaction to All-Nighters

Brain Waves: Acetylcholine and Dopamine’s Synchronized Dance in Striatum

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

Choosing Needs Over Wants: How Dopamine Decides

Dopamine’s Decision Role: Faster but Flawed Choices

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

Dopamine Tunes the Brain for Both Singing and Speech

Dopamine’s Role in Unrewarded Learning

Adolescence’s Impact on Adult Dopamine Function and Impulsivity

Beyond Reward, Dopamine Drives Movement

Study Challenges Longstanding Beliefs About Action of Antipsychotic Medications

Glioblastoma’s Chaos Follows Predictable Rules

One Autism Mutation Collapses the Whole Gene Network

Why Bitter Coffee Starts to Taste So Good to Your Brain

Omega-3 DHA Eases Autism Behaviors by Calming Inflammation

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