Early life stress induces epigenetic modifications in D2-type medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens, increasing the susceptibility to stress in adulthood.
A smoking cessation drug called cytisine may be a helpful new tool for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in women. Cytisine was found to reduce the loss of dopamine neurons. The effect was more pronounced when estrogen was present.
Grafting neurons derived from a monkey's own stem cells reversed the debilitating and mental health symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease. The treatment shows promise for alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson's in humans.
The circadian CLOCK gene in the nucleus accumbens shell plays a crucial role in binge drinking behaviors in mouse models.
Anti-psychotic drugs do not only block dopamine signaling in the brain, they also block dopamine signaling in the pancreas. Blocking dopamine signaling in the pancreas leads to uncontrolled production of blood-glucose regulating hormones, increasing obesity and diabetes risks.
From helping to reduce depression to boosting dopamine in the reward system, researchers review how taking up a hobby can have positive effects on mental health.
Even when people adjust their view as a result of social influence, their brain activity shows traces of prior disagreements.
Combining PET neuroimaging with a specific intravenous radioactive compound allows researchers to distinguish Lewy Body Dementia from Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's in brain scans.
Spontaneous eye-blink rates could be the missing link in explaining the relationship between aerobic fitness and cognitive function.
Researchers found functional and anatomical differences in the brains of people who are more likely to embark on risky behaviors.
Enzyme activity outside of specific cell types contribute to synaptic plasticity associated with addiction behaviors.
People diagnosed with schizophrenia have an increased risk of developing Parkinson's disease later in life, researchers report. The reason could be due to alterations in the brain's dopamine system cause as a result of dopamine receptor antagonists or neurophysiological changes associated with schizophrenia itself.
