nucleus accumbens

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nucleus accumbens

·July 5, 2017·6 min read

Probing Psychopathic Brains

Taking a mobile neuroimaging system on the road to prisons, researchers look at the brain activity of those considered to be psychopaths and discover their brains are wired in a way that leads them to over-value immediate rewards while neglecting future consequences.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 11, 2017·5 min read

Protein Links Alcohol Abuse and Changes in Brain’s Reward Center

A new Neuron study reports blocking the action of the mTORC1 protein causes mice to stop problem drinking behaviors. The findings could help develop new treatments for addictive behaviors in people.

This shows a brain overlayed on a person's head with a swirly, psychedelic background

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 4, 2019·5 min read

Psychedelic drug MDMA may reawaken ‘critical period’ in brain to help treat PTSD

MDMA, a psychedelic drug, has successfully been used to reopen the 'critical period' of learning the reward values of social behaviors. Researchers report, in mature mice given MDMA, oxytocin triggers signaling in synapses that help encode social learning and memory, a process that does not usually occur in older animals. The findings could help in the development of treatments for PTSD and other disorders.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 2, 2022·6 min read

Psychedelic Drugs’ Therapeutic Potential for a Range of Psychiatric Disorders

Researchers discuss how psychedelics can affect the brain and provide therapeutic benefits for those suffering from a range of psychiatric disorders.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 11, 2019·7 min read

Rave new world: Scientists pry apart party drug’s therapeutic, addictive qualities

Researchers have distinguished two different molecular pathways responsible for addiction and the prosocial feelings generated by MDMA. The findings could lead to novel treatments for psychiatric disorders marked by withdrawal and social awkwardness.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 27, 2020·6 min read

Regions of the Brain Where Serotonin Promotes Patience Revealed

A new study reveals specific brain regions that individually promote patience through the action of serotonin.

Image shows a brain scan with the nac highlighted.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 29, 2016·5 min read

Religious Beliefs Activate Neural Reward Circuits in Same Way As Sex and Drugs

Powerful spiritual feelings were associated with activation in the nucleus accumbens, an area of the brain associated with reward, a new study reports.

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·December 17, 2013·2 min read

Research Team Finds Hope for Pharmacological Solution to Cocaine Addiction

Researchers suggest a method of biologically manipulating neural circuitry could lead to a new pharmacological approach which could weaken cocaine withdrawal.

The image shows a diagram of the NAc and CeM.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 29, 2015·4 min read

Researchers Discover Brain Circuitry Responsible for Encoding Positive and Negative Learned Associations

Researchers identify neural circuitry responsible for fear and reward learning in mice.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·October 20, 2018·4 min read

Researchers Find Brain Signal that May Help Us Navigate the Holiday Buffet

Researchers report they have discovered the region of the brain that registers excitement over a preferred food option. The study reports the findings could help develop new therapies and treatments to potentially combat obesity and encourage healthier eating.

The image shows the location of the nucleus accumbens in the brain.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 7, 2013·4 min read

Researchers Focus on a Brain Protein and an Antibiotic to Block Cocaine Craving

A new study shows that the GLT1 protein plays a critical role in the craving for cocaine which develops after only a few days of cocaine use. However, exposure to ceftriaxone, an antibiotic used to treat meningitis, decreases cocaine cravings.