Latest

dopamine

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos Psychology

·July 13, 2018·5 min read

The Psychology of Roller Coasters

Researchers investigate why so many people are hooked on the thrill of roller coaster riding.

Featured Genetics

·July 13, 2018·3 min read

Maged1 Gene Protects Against Cocaine Addiction

A new study reports mice lacking the Maged1 gene are unable to acquire an addiction to cocaine.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 11, 2018·5 min read

Stress Affects People with Schizophrenia Differently

A new study reveals people with schizophrenia have a disrupted stress response. Researchers report those with schizophrenia have an increase in dopamine release in the striatum, but not in the prefrontal cortex, in response to stress.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·July 8, 2018·3 min read

Discovering Dopamine’s Role in the Brain

Researchers pay tribute to Arvid Carlsson, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research into dopamine, and evaluate what his research means to modern neuroscience.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·July 2, 2018·4 min read

Reward and Unease Are Closely Linked in the Brain

Researchers say melanocortin 4 receptors may play a role in unease and reward. The study reports dopamine levels fell in the reward system of mice when the animal experienced something unpleasant. However, in mice lacking the melanocortin 4 receptor, dopamine levels increased slightly following a negative experience.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·June 28, 2018·5 min read

How the Office Org Chart in Your Brain Helps Organize Your Actions

Researchers shed light on how behavior is organized in the brain. The study reports learned behaviors are organized in a hierarchy of multiple levels of control.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 27, 2018·4 min read

Dopamine’s Role in Unlearning Fearful Association

Researchers report dopamine neurons may play a role in fear extinction. The study suggests targeting dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area could be of therapeutic benefit to reduce the impact of learned fear in PTSD and anxiety disorders.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 25, 2018·3 min read

Nicotine Alters Neurotransmission in Habit Forming Brain Region

According to a new study, nicotine reduces dorsal striatal output, underlying the urge to smoke and making it difficult to quite the addiction.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 24, 2018·6 min read

Why Our Brains See the World As “Us” Versus “Them”

Researchers say our neural circuits could be responsible for why we find comfort in those who are similar to us and why we are often uneasy with those who might differ from us.

Featured Neurology Psychology

·June 20, 2018·3 min read

Half of Those on Parkinson’s Drugs Develop Impulse Control Problems

A new study reports Parkinson's patients who take dopamine agonists are more likely to develop impulse control disorders.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·June 18, 2018·4 min read

Rare Genetic Mutation May Give Insight into How the Brain is Wired

A family with a rare genetic mutation are helping researchers answer important questions about how the human brain is wired. The family, who share an altered copy of the DCC gene, have less connectivity between areas where dopamine neurons originate and their target sites.