A new rodent study uncovers a neural circuit in the brain that appears to govern pain-induced anhedonia. Altering the activity of this circuit restored motivation in pre-clinical models of pain.
Significant Proportion of People With Parkinson’s Disease Struggle With Instruction-Based Learning
Study reports a significant number of people with Parkinson's disease have precise deficits when learning from instructions. Researchers say the problems are associated with differences in brain function.
Researchers have identified a new reward system in the brain. The study found long-range GABA neurons from the ventral tegmental area to the ventral nucleus accumbens shell are engaged in reward and reinforcement behaviors. This GABAergic projection inhibits cholinergic interneurons.
The brain regulates both eating for hunger and pleasure through serotonin-producing neurons in the midbrain, but the different types of feeding are wired by independent circuits that do not influence the other type of feeding.
A new study found a person's math ability was linked to levels of GABA and glutamate in the brain. In children, greater math fluency was associated with higher GABA levels in the left intraparietal sulcus, while lower levels of GABA were linked to math ability in adults. The reverse was true for glutamate in both children and adults.
A study of hungry mice sheds new light on the neurobiology of olfaction and food attraction. Researchers identified a pathway that promotes attraction to food odors over other olfactory cues.
The effects of intoxication, such as slurred speech and poor coordination, are a result of the breakdown of alcohol products in the brain and not the liver.
The ratio of GABA and glutamate affect long and short-term strategic decision-making in a different manner.
The key to performance and motivation lies within the ratio of glutamine and glutamate in the nucleus accumbens. The ratio of glutamine to glutamate relates specifically to stamina.
Cryo-electron microscopy captures detailed snapshots of the GABAB receptor protein contorts as it interacts with GABA.
Researchers identified a distinct population of GABAergic neurons activated by general anesthetic in the central amygdala of mice. The findings point to central amygdala GABAergic neurons as a potential therapeutic target to alleviate chronic pain.
Neurons in the caudal pedunculopontine nucleus, an area of the brain that regulates motor coordination, switch neurotransmitters from acetylcholine to GABA as a result of exercise. The switch appears to provide feedback control that regulates motor coordination and skill learning.
