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dopamine

·March 28, 2025·4 min read

Dopamine Surge Boosts Brain’s Ability to Adapt

For the first time, researchers have directly observed dopamine release in the human brain during moments of cognitive flexibility. Using PET imaging, they found that dopamine levels spike in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex when people switch between tasks — and the more dopamine released, the more efficiently they adapted.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 27, 2025·8 min read

Pleasure Loss, Not Cravings, Drives Overeating in Obesity

A new study reveals that long-term high-fat diets reduce pleasure from eating by lowering neurotensin, a brain peptide that boosts dopamine response.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 27, 2025·4 min read

How the Brain Learns to Reclassify Danger and Reward

The brain constantly evaluates whether stimuli are positive or negative, prompting approach or avoidance behaviors that are essential for survival. A new study reveals that two neuron types in the nucleus accumbens—D1 and D2 neurons—respond together to both rewarding and aversive stimuli, but in distinct ways.

Featured Neuroscience

·March 15, 2025·4 min read

Dopamine Can Rewire Reward-Linked Memories

New research reveals dopamine has a previously unknown role: reshaping our memories of rewarding experiences. In a study using mice, scientists found dopamine helps reduce the perceived value of memories linked to rewards, altering future behavior toward those rewards.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 20, 2025·7 min read

Brain’s Hidden Circuitry for Risk and Reward Uncovered

Researchers have identified two distinct groups of neurons that help the brain evaluate risk and reward in decision-making. These neurons, located in the ventral striatum, separately process better-than-expected and worse-than-expected outcomes.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 27, 2025·3 min read

Dopamine Clock May Drive Bipolar Mood Swings

New research suggests that mood swings in bipolar disorder are regulated by two clocks: the body’s 24-hour circadian rhythm and a dopamine-based clock that influences alertness. When these clocks align at specific intervals, they may trigger shifts between mania and depression.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·January 22, 2025·7 min read

Targeting Reward Pathways to Treat Depression

New research highlights how the brain's reward-learning system can guide personalized treatments for depression. By studying two brain signals, expected value and prediction error, researchers identified markers that predict recovery potential and tailored responses to rewards and setbacks.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 22, 2025·6 min read

Dopamine Drives Aggression Learning in Males

New research reveals that dopamine plays a crucial role in teaching young male mice to fight, with the chemical’s influence diminishing as they gain experience. In novice fighters, boosting dopamine increased aggression, while blocking it stopped them from fighting.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 8, 2025·6 min read

Dopamine and Serotonin Drive Emotional Word Processing

Researchers have uncovered how neurotransmitters in the brain respond to the emotional content of language, shedding light on the intersection of emotion, cognition, and communication. Using advanced techniques, the team simultaneously measured dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine release in patients during exposure to emotionally charged words.

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Featured Neuroscience

·December 20, 2024·5 min read

Serotonin, GABA, and Dopamine Drive Hunger and Feeding

A new study has revealed how brain circuits and neurotransmitters regulate meal initiation, offering insights into obesity management. Researchers identified serotonin neurons in the midbrain's dorsal Raphe nucleus (DRN) as key players, inhibited by GABA and dopamine when hunger strikes.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 16, 2024·3 min read

Dopamine Plays Key Role in the Heart’s Stress Response

Researchers have discovered how stress-induced cardiovascular changes are controlled by the brain. Experiments in rats show that activating the lateral habenula, a stress-sensitive brain region, triggers changes in heart rate and blood pressure.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 25, 2024·8 min read

Dopamine and Serotonin Work in Opposition for Effective Learning

The interplay between dopamine and serotonin shapes behavior by creating a balance between reward-seeking and impulse control. A novel study demonstrated that both systems work in opposition but are essential for effective learning.

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dopamine

Dopamine Surge Boosts Brain’s Ability to Adapt

Pleasure Loss, Not Cravings, Drives Overeating in Obesity

How the Brain Learns to Reclassify Danger and Reward

Dopamine Can Rewire Reward-Linked Memories

Brain’s Hidden Circuitry for Risk and Reward Uncovered

Dopamine Clock May Drive Bipolar Mood Swings

Targeting Reward Pathways to Treat Depression

Dopamine Drives Aggression Learning in Males

Dopamine and Serotonin Drive Emotional Word Processing

Serotonin, GABA, and Dopamine Drive Hunger and Feeding

Dopamine Plays Key Role in the Heart’s Stress Response

Dopamine and Serotonin Work in Opposition for Effective Learning

Resetting Interneuron Timing Rescues Memory in Alzheimer’s

Boosting Wnt Signaling Reverses APOE4 Alzheimer’s Damage

How Stress Reactivates Arthritis

Reading Fiction Can Rewire Real-World Forgiveness and Empathy

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