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dopamine

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·January 13, 2020·2 min read

Long-term memory performance depends upon gating system

Fruit fly study reveals suppression of a genetic switch boosts long-term memory.

This is the chemical structure of dopamine

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·January 2, 2020·5 min read

Study finds dopamine, biological clock link to snacking, overeating and obesity

Findings define a connection between reward, dopamine, and circadian pathways in the overeating.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 1, 2020·3 min read

New Year’s anxiety hangover? Here’s what’s happening in your brain

Hangxiety, the feeling of waking up with anxiety the morning after heavy drinking, is a common symptom associated with a hangover. Researchers explain how a heavy night's drinking alters neurochemistry, leaving some of us prone to waking with anxiety.

This shows a person laying with their head on the table and an empty alcohol bottle

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·December 30, 2019·6 min read

Hangovers happen as your body tries to protect itself from alcohol’s toxic effects

Researchers explore the biology behind hangovers, including how excessive alcohol consumption alters glutamate, serotonin, and dopamine. The paper also examines how to reduce the effects of a heavy night's drinking.

This is a drawing of a person in front of a TV set

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos Psychology

·December 29, 2019·4 min read

Watching pornography rewires the brain to a more juvenile state

From eroding the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain critical for impulse control, to damaging the dopamine reward system, researchers evaluate the impact of viewing pornography on the brain.

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos Psychology

·December 28, 2019·4 min read

Blind bags: how toy makers are making a fortune with child gambling

The popularity of blind bag collectible toys is rapidly growing among children. Researchers report blind bags tap into the same psychological mechanisms that ultimately result in gambling addiction, namely intermittent reinforcement.

This shows scrabble letters spelling out anxiety

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·December 27, 2019·2 min read

Evolutionary changes in brain potentially make us more prone to anxiety

Evolutionary changes in neurotransmitter uptake of VMAT1 may be responsible for higher levels of anxiety.

This is a chemical stick and ball model of dopamine

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·December 27, 2019·4 min read

Dopamine fasting: an expert reviews the latest craze in Silicon Valley

The latest Silicon Valley crazy of dopamine fasting promises to "reset" the brain to be more effective and appreciate the smaller things in life more easily, but does it work? Researchers look at the effect of dopamine fasting on brain health.

This shows a light bulb in a think bubble

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·December 18, 2019·4 min read

Forgetfulness might depend on time of day

Mouse study reveals a gene that influences memory recall at different times of the day. Researchers identified how the gene causes mice to be more forgetful just before they normally wake.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 11, 2019·7 min read

Rave new world: Scientists pry apart party drug’s therapeutic, addictive qualities

Researchers have distinguished two different molecular pathways responsible for addiction and the prosocial feelings generated by MDMA. The findings could lead to novel treatments for psychiatric disorders marked by withdrawal and social awkwardness.

This shows a dad reading to his daughter

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 3, 2019·4 min read

Young Children and Infants Read to By Parents Have Stronger Vocabulary Skills

Reading to infants and young children is associated with stronger vocabulary skills at age three. The findings reveal parents who read to children with genetic predispositions to learning and attention disorders help improve their language acquisition skills.

This shows a stick and ball model of serotonin

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 27, 2019·5 min read

Why do we freeze when startled? New study points to serotonin

When fruit flies experience an unexpected change in its surroundings, serotonin produced in the ventral nerve cord slows the insect down. The findings may shed light on the neurobiological mechanisms of human startle response.