Dopamine’s Yin-Yang Personality: It’s an Upper and a Downer
Researchers shed light on the dual nature of dopamine, as a neurotransmitter that makes us seek pleasure and also reinforces avoidance of pain.... Read More...
optogenetics
Clues to Brain Changes in Depression Discovered
A new study sheds light on how the brain processes rewards and provides a deeper understanding on the neurobiology of depression.... Read More...
Gut Branches of Vagus Nerve Essential Components of Brain’s Reward and Motivation System
Researchers report a gut-brain neural circuit establishes the vagus nerve as an essential component of the brain system that regulates reward and motivation.... Read More...
How the Brain Bounces Back
A new study reports activity, not rest, help speed up recovery following a brain injury.... Read More...
To Flee or Not to Flee: How the Brain Decides What to Do in the Face of Danger
Researchers have identified the variables that lead the brain to apply specific defensive strategies while under the threat of danger, and implicate a specific pair of neurons in this process.... Read More...
Hungry? A Newly Discovered Neural Circuit May Be to Blame
Researchers have identified a subset of neurons in a region of the hypothalamus that play a critical role in regulating feeding and appetite in mice.... Read More...
Neural Implants Modulate Microstructures in the Brain with Pinpoint Accuracy
Researchers have developed new neural implants that enable targeted delivery of drugs deep into brain structures.... Read More...
How the Office Org Chart in Your Brain Helps Organize Your Actions
Researchers shed light on how behavior is organized in the brain. The study reports learned behaviors are organized in a hierarchy of multiple levels of control.... Read More...
Dopamine’s Role in Unlearning Fearful Association
Researchers report dopamine neurons may play a role in fear extinction. The study suggests targeting dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area could be of therapeutic benefit to reduce the impact of learned fear in PTSD and anxiety disorders.... Read More...
Fundamental Rule of Brain Plasticity Discovered
Based on the actions of Arc, when one synapse strengthens, the neighboring synapses weaken, a new study reveals. ... Read More...
New Optical Probe Allows Ultrafast Imaging of Dopamine in the Brain
Researchers have developed new fluorescence sensors that are able to record dopamine activity in the living brain. The tool will help further understanding of dopamine's role in reward and motivation.... Read More...
Aggression Neurons Identified
Researchers implicated a group of neurons in the premammillary nucleus of the hypothalamus with aggressive behaviors. Using optogenetics to stimulate and inhibit these neurons, researchers were able to control aggression in mice.... Read More...