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dopamine

The image shows the pathways in the basal ganglia. The striatum is shown in a purple/blue color.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·August 2, 2013·3 min read

New Findings Could Help Improve Development of Drugs for Addiction

Researchers describe findings which could help enable the development of more effective medications for addiction, with fewer side effects.

The image shows exaggerated dopamine release after taking cocaine.

Featured Genetics

·August 1, 2013·3 min read

New Insight into How the Brain ‘Learns’ Cocaine Addiction

Researchers discover the role protein mGluR5 plays in cocaine addiction. The finding could help point a way to new treatments for addiction.

This brain scan highlights the substantia nigra location.

Featured Neurology

·July 24, 2013·4 min read

Scientists Find a Potential Cause of Parkinson’s Disease that Points to a New Therapeutic Strategy

A new study shows the loss of parkin sharply reduces the level of another protein which usually helps protect neurons from stress.

This image of 'bath salts' is credited to the DEA.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 10, 2013·4 min read

‘Bath Salts’ Stimulant Could Be More Addictive than Meth

A new study confirms MDPV, a recreational drug commonly known as "bath salts", could be more addictive than methamphetamine.

This is a diagram of the dopamine pathway in the brain.

Featured Psychology

·June 27, 2013·3 min read

Ritalin Shows Promise in Treating Addiction

Researchers find Ritalin, a commonly prescribed drug for ADHD, helps improve brain functional connectivity in cocaine addiction.

The image shows a brain made out of chocolate.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 24, 2013·2 min read

Pleasure Response From Chocolate: You Can See it in the Eyes

According to a new study, the brain's pleasure response to tasting food may be measured through the eyes by using ERG.

The illustration shows the brain differences between normal reading and dyslexic children performing a rhyming task.

Featured Genetics

·June 13, 2013·3 min read

Researchers Unravel Genetics of Dyslexia and Language Impairment

Researchers identified genetic variants that can predispose children to dyslexia and language impairment. The study could allow for earlier diagnosis and more successful interventions for language impairment disorders.

The image shows the dopamine pathway in the brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 10, 2013·5 min read

Cocaine Vaccine Passes Key Testing Hurdle

Researchers have successfully tested a new vaccine in primates to battle cocaine addiction. Using neuroimaging techniques, they demonstrated the vaccine prevents cocaine from reaching the brain and producing a dopamine induced high. Human trials could begin within the next year.

The image is a brain scan with an arrow pointing to the thalamus.

Featured Neurology

·May 7, 2013·3 min read

Restless Legs Syndrome, Insomnia And Brain Chemistry: A Tangled Mystery Solved?

Using neuroimaging, researchers discovered glutamate levels are abnormally high in people with restless leg syndrome. The higher the level of glutamate in patients with RLS, the less sleep they were able to get.

The image shows an implanted vagus nerve device.

Featured Neurology

·May 7, 2013·3 min read

Nerve Stimulation for Severe Depression Changes Brain Function

Preliminary brain scan studies reveal how vagus nerve stimulation brings about changes in brain metabolism weeks prior to patients with depression entering into recovery.

The image shows the optogenetic LED device being threaded through the eye of a needle.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 11, 2013·4 min read

Tiny Wireless Device Shines Light on Mouse Brain, Generating Reward

Researchers implant optogenetic electronic device into mouse brains, stimulating dopamine producing neurons by emitting light.

The image shows an obesity table with height and associated weight compared.

Featured Psychology

·February 19, 2013·3 min read

Is There a Link Between Childhood Obesity and ADHD?

New research has established a possible link between high-fat diets and such childhood brain-based conditions as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and memory-dependent learning disabilities.