FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience Abstracts·October 15, 2012·4 min readDoes Motherhood Dampen Cocaine’s Effects?Mother rats respond much differently to cocaine than female rats that have never given birth, according to new University of Michigan research that looks at both behavior and brain chemistry.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·August 5, 2015·3 min readBrain Structures Involved in Delayed Gratification IdentifiedResearchers implicate the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens in decisions that call for delayed gratification.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·June 14, 2016·5 min readThe Pain and Pleasure of Sad MusicA new study sheds pinpoints the ways in which people regulate their mood with the help of music.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·May 11, 2017·4 min readBeauty Requires ThoughtResearchers report distractions can detract from the experience of beauty, and sensuous pleasures can also be beautiful.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·December 9, 2017·2 min readPeople with Anhedonia Do Experience Pleasure, Just Not As OftenIt is possible for those with anhedonia to enjoy experiences and feel pleasure, however, those with the disorder find it hard to maintain their positive emotions, a new study reports.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·March 2, 2018·5 min readIn Pursuit of Pleasure, the Brain Learns to Hit the Repeat ButtonAccording to researchers, the brain learns to reproduce brain activity patterns that lead to reward. The findings could lead to new avenues for treating addiction and OCD, researchers report.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·April 18, 2018·4 min readOvercoming Bias About Music Takes WorkResearchers reveal telling people whether a musician in a professional or student can change the way the brain responds to the music they are playing.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·April 29, 2018·4 min readHow Pleasure Affects Our BrainsA new article looks at the neuroscience of pleasure and considers why, in the pursuit of pleasure, we embark in some actions which are detrimental to our well being.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·August 21, 2018·3 min readBeauty is Simpler, and Less Special, Than We RealizeAnalyzing the work of great philosophers and recent neuroscience research, researchers conclude certain simple features, such as symmetry and roundness, make things more attractive to us.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·December 4, 2018·6 min readNew Insights Into Loss of Pleasure in DepressionA new study reveals a brain region that contributes to anhedonia, the loss of pleasure, in those with depression. The study also shows how ketamine acts on this brain region, explaining why the drug appears to be so effective at treating anhedonia.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·December 10, 2018·6 min readDopamine’s Yin-Yang Personality: It’s an Upper and a DownerResearchers shed light on the dual nature of dopamine, as a neurotransmitter that makes us seek pleasure and also reinforces avoidance of pain.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·August 8, 2019·4 min readGenetic variation contributes to individual differences in pleasureWhat we find pleasurable may be down to our genetics. Researchers found nucleus accumbens activation and physical anhedonia were influenced by shared genes. The experience of pleasure and physical anhedonia also appear to share some of the same genes.Read More
