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dopamine

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·January 2, 2019·2 min read

Hyperactive Immune System Implicated in Aging Brain Disorders

According to a new study, the immune system may play a critical role in damage associated with neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and ALS. The study reports altering Cdk5 results in the death of dopamine neurons and slowed autophagy.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 31, 2018·6 min read

Tips For A New Year Tuneup For Your Brain

Researchers provide strategies for enhancing brain health and lowering stress in the new year.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 27, 2018·3 min read

Your Brain Rewards You Twice Per Meal

Upon eating, dopamine is released in the brain at two different times, during ingestion and when the food reaches our stomach, researchers report.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 19, 2018·4 min read

GABA Cells Help Fight Alcoholism

Researchers have identified how alcohol influences dopaminergic and inhibitory neurons in the ventral tegmental area. The findings could help develop new treatments for alcohol dependence.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 13, 2018·6 min read

Ritalin Drives Greater Connection Between Brain Areas Key to Memory and Attention

A new neuroimaging study reveals methylphenidate, better known as Ritalin, increases the level of dopamine available in the caudate. Along with increased dopamine levels, researchers also notice greater functional connectivity between the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and precuneus, three areas of the brain associated with memory and attention.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·December 12, 2018·3 min read

Gut Hormone Increases Response to Food

Researchers discover activity in brain regions involved in reward response from dopamine was higher in subjects injected with the hormone ghrelin, but only when responding to images associated with food smells. The study reports ghrelin controls the extent to which the brain associates reward with food odors.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·December 11, 2018·3 min read

Meditation Adapts the Brain to Respond to Better Feedback

Researchers report the brains of those who practice meditation are less affected by negative feedback than those who do not meditate. The study reports this could be due to altered dopamine levels caused by the act of meditation.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 10, 2018·6 min read

Dopamine’s Yin-Yang Personality: It’s an Upper and a Downer

Researchers shed light on the dual nature of dopamine, as a neurotransmitter that makes us seek pleasure and also reinforces avoidance of pain.

Autism Featured Neuroscience

·December 4, 2018·4 min read

Microbial Based Treatment Reverses ASD’s Social Deficits: Mouse Study

Researchers report the administration of Lactobacillus reuteri may lead to brain changes that reverse social deficits in mouse models of ASD through a mechanism that involves the vagus nerve and reward system. The findings hold promise for the development of treatments for ASD, as well as other disorders, by modulating specific gut microbes.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·December 4, 2018·5 min read

A Toxin That Travels From Stomach to Brain May Trigger Parkinson’s

A new study reports the combination of a toxic herbicide and lectins may trigger Parkinsonism after the toxins travel from the stomach to the brain.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 27, 2018·4 min read

Clues to Brain Changes in Depression Discovered

A new study sheds light on how the brain processes rewards and provides a deeper understanding on the neurobiology of depression.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·November 26, 2018·5 min read

The Eyes Have It: Prions in Eyes of Those with sCJD

Researchers have found evidence of sCJD related prions in the eyes of patients. The findings could lead to new diagnostics for the disease and help prevent transmission.