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nucleus accumbens

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·May 11, 2020·4 min read

Are our brains hard-wired for longing?

Neuroimaging study reveals the neural basis for the motivation to reunite with the ones you love. The findings could lead to new therapies for disorders associated with social behaviors, and may also help explain why social distancing is so tough.

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·May 3, 2020·5 min read

Do people become more selfless as they age?

A recent study reveals people are more likely to become more altruistic and charitable as they age.

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·April 20, 2020·7 min read

Early exposure to cannabis boosts young brains’ sensitivity to cocaine

Cannabis use during youth enhances sensitivity to cocaine from the first exposure, a new rat study finds.

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·March 1, 2020·6 min read

Second Type of Schizophrenia Discovered

Combining neuroimaging data with artificial intelligence, researchers have identified two distinct neuroanatomical subtypes of schizophrenia. The first, more typical subtype is associated with a lower widespread volume of gray matter compared to healthy controls. In the second subtype, gray matter volume is largely similar to healthy brains.

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·January 27, 2020·3 min read

The brain may need iron for healthy cognitive development

Iron levels in the basal ganglia steadily increase throughout development and, in two sub-regions, continue to increase into adulthood. Decreased levels of iron in the putamen was correlated with impaired cognitive performance involving reasoning and spatial processing. Findings suggest the brain requires iron for healthy cognitive development.

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·January 23, 2020·3 min read

How the brain processes rewards

Different types of reward have unique effects on the basal ganglia nuclei. Food rewards influence the left hemisphere of the brain, while erotic rewards engage the right lateral globus and left caudate. Financial rewards engage the basal ganglia bilaterally.

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·January 17, 2020·3 min read

New insights into a Parkinson’s disease protein

Alpha synuclein's non-amyloidal component (NAC) aids the protein's movement through axons. When the NAC region is removed, alpha-synuclein did not move within axons.

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·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.

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·November 18, 2019·3 min read

Ketamine reduces drinking in male rats, but not females

Ketamine reduced alcohol intake in male rat models of alcohol use disorder but increased the desire for alcohol in low-consumption females.

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·October 9, 2019·3 min read

Scientists find gender-distinct circuit for depression

A circuit-specific gender difference in ventral hippocamps to nucleus accumbens (vHPC-NAc) neurons is dependent on testosterone and causes more susceptibility to stress in females.

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·September 13, 2019·4 min read

Opiates reduce the brain’s ability to form and maintain synapses

Opiate exposure causes synaptic rewiring in the nucleus accumbens in addition to decreasing dendritic spines. The findings shed light into the neurobiology of opiate relapse.