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motivation

·June 6, 2025·5 min read

Brain’s Reward Center Tracks Not Just What, But When Rewards Arrive

The brain’s ventral tegmental area (VTA) encodes not only the value of anticipated rewards but also the precise timing of when those rewards are expected. Long known for its role in producing dopamine and guiding reward prediction, the VTA is now shown to process reward expectations on multiple time scales.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 17, 2025·5 min read

Inflammation Tied to Motivation Loss in Schizophrenia

A new study has uncovered a biological link between inflammation and motivational deficits in people with schizophrenia, identifying a promising treatment target for symptoms that current medications fail to address. Higher levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein were associated with reduced activity in brain regions involved in reward and motivation, such as the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·4 min read

Knowing Alzheimer’s Risk Lowers Anxiety, But Motivation Fades

A new study shows that learning about amyloid beta buildup — a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease — does not increase emotional distress, but motivation to maintain healthy habits declines over time. Healthy adults who learned they had no amyloid buildup reported reduced depression, anxiety, and memory concerns, yet also lost motivation to continue positive lifestyle changes.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 2, 2025·5 min read

Motivation Struggles Persist After Depression Recovery

People who have recovered from depression show reduced motivation to pursue rewards unless the incentives are large and highly certain. Although mood improves post-recovery, hidden deficits in reward processing and decision-making linger, potentially contributing to relapse vulnerability.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 10, 2025·4 min read

Motivational Stress Mindset Keeps Empathy

Viewing stress as a potential motivator can improve productivity and wellbeing without reducing empathy or willingness to support others. Researchers developed a brief online intervention that teaches participants to reframe stress more positively using education and visualization techniques.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 21, 2024·4 min read

Low Confidence Drives Feedback-Seeking, Boosts Learning Outcomes

A new study reveals that individuals with low confidence in their performance are more likely to seek corrective feedback, which significantly enhances their learning. By analyzing participants' decisions during a memory task tied to monetary rewards, researchers found that the desire for feedback was driven by uncertainty, not emotional factors like stress.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 23, 2024·6 min read

Neural Pathways Link Dopamine to Movement and Motivation

Researchers have discovered two new brain pathways that modify movement and emotional decisions by controlling dopamine release. These pathways, found in the striatum, either stimulate or inhibit dopamine-producing neurons, influencing the go and no-go pathways that control movement.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 11, 2024·5 min read

Key Brain Protein Tied to Motivation and Mood Identified

A new study has identified a brain protein, vesicular nucleotide transporter (Vnut), as essential for regulating mood and motivation in mice. When Vnut was removed from brain cells called astrocytes, the mice displayed higher anxiety, depression-like behavior, and decreased motivation, especially in females.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 30, 2024·4 min read

Exercise Boosts Motivation to Combat Depression

A new study suggests that exercise reduces depression by boosting motivation through decreased inflammation and enhanced dopamine function. This understanding could lead to personalized exercise programs as treatment. The review highlights how aerobic exercise combats anhedonia and low energy in depression. Large trials are needed to further test this hypothesis and explore barriers to exercise.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 31, 2024·5 min read

Activating Brain’s Serotonin Center Alters Behavior and Motivation

Stimulating the brain's serotonin center, the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), activates areas responsible for behavior and motivation. This discovery, using opto-functional MRI in awake mice, highlights serotonin's significant role in cognitive functions. The study offers insights into how serotonin influences behavior and mood regulation.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 24, 2024·5 min read

Serotonin Affects Behavior and Motivation

A new study reveals how activating the brain's serotonin center affects behavior and motivation in awake mice. Using optogenetics and high-field MRI, researchers found that stimulating serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) activates the cerebral cortex and basal ganglia, critical areas for cognitive functions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 26, 2024·5 min read

Cannabis Users Stay Motivated: Lazy Stoner Myth Debunked

A new study challenges the stereotype that chronic cannabis users are lazy and unmotivated. The research surveyed 260 frequent users and found no significant drop in their motivation or effort levels while high compared to when sober.

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motivation

Brain’s Reward Center Tracks Not Just What, But When Rewards Arrive

Inflammation Tied to Motivation Loss in Schizophrenia

Knowing Alzheimer’s Risk Lowers Anxiety, But Motivation Fades

Motivation Struggles Persist After Depression Recovery

Motivational Stress Mindset Keeps Empathy

Low Confidence Drives Feedback-Seeking, Boosts Learning Outcomes

Neural Pathways Link Dopamine to Movement and Motivation

Key Brain Protein Tied to Motivation and Mood Identified

Exercise Boosts Motivation to Combat Depression

Activating Brain’s Serotonin Center Alters Behavior and Motivation

Serotonin Affects Behavior and Motivation

Cannabis Users Stay Motivated: Lazy Stoner Myth Debunked

Brain Cells Tune to Multiple Rhythms Like a Neural Radio

Neglecting Dads’ Mental Health May Harm Kids’ Development

How the Brain Actively Removes Unwanted Memories

Mitochondrial Link to Cerebellar Decline in MS

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