reward system Research Articles

One shot of ketamine could reduce problem drinking

Neuroscience NewsNovember 26, 2019

A single shot of ketamine administered to heavy drinkers following reactivation of their drinking memories led to a rapid decrease in the urge to drink. The effect lasted for over nine months.... Read More...

FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles6 min read

Your brain on sugar: What the science actually says

Neuroscience NewsNovember 16, 2019

From reducing memory capability to increasing the risk of diabetes and obesity, researchers investigate how sugar affects the brain and body.... Read More...

FeaturedNeuroscience5 min read

So cute you could crush it? The neuroscience of “cute aggression”

Neuroscience NewsAugust 8, 2019

Some people feel an overwhelming sense of wanting to commit an act of aggression when they see a cute baby animal. Researchers say cute aggression may be a neural mechanism that mediates feelings of being overwhelmed. ... Read More...

FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology7 min read

Genetic variation contributes to individual differences in pleasure

Neuroscience NewsAugust 8, 2019

What 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...

FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology6 min read

This shows the location of the nucleus accumbens in the brain

Why marijuana affects different people differently

Neuroscience NewsJuly 8, 2019

By looking at THC’s effect on a rat brain, the researchers showed that THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, can produce highly rewarding effects in the front-most part of a region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. The image is in the public domain.... Read More...

FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology4 min read

Ignoring cues for alcohol and fast food is hard – but is it out of our control?

Neuroscience NewsJuly 5, 2019

Stress and tiredness make it harder for you to ignore environmental cues that signal something rewarding.... Read More...

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology6 min read

This shows a mouse and a diagram of a mouse brain

Unraveling the brain’s reward circuits

Neuroscience NewsJuly 4, 2019

Study reveals how ArGP and dopamine neurons are linked, and how food and drugs affect them differently. The findings offer clues for the development of new treatments for obesity and substance use disorders.... Read More...

FeaturedNeuroscience7 min read

Information addiction: How information is like snacks, money, and drugs to your brain

Neuroscience NewsJune 19, 2019

Obtaining new information may be addictive. Study finds information acquisition shares the same dopamine producing reward system pathway as food, financial rewards and drugs. ... Read More...

FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles7 min read

This shows a person standing on a bridge

Formation of habitual use drives cannabis addiction

Neuroscience NewsJune 13, 2019

Individual differences in the striatum of habitual cannabis users distinguish between who is at increased risk of addiction and cannabis use disorder.... Read More...

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology4 min read

The prefrontal cortex in the brain is highlighted here

Growing up high: Neurobiological consequences of adolescent cannabis use

Neuroscience NewsMay 26, 2019

Researchers evaluate the psychological and neurobiological impact of teen cannabis use. The findings, to be presented at the 13th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, will cover how cannabis contributes to cognitive impairments, psychosis and deficits in decision making in adolescents.... Read More...

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology6 min read

Inflammation induces anhedonia in women but not men

Neuroscience NewsMay 15, 2019

Inflammation appears to reduce reward response in females. Reduced activity in the brain's reward system is a key component of anhedonia, the loss of enjoyment in activities, a core feature of depression. The findings may explain why depression is more prevalent in women than in men.... Read More...

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology4 min read

Hearts are shown as pieces on a tic-tac-toe board

Unexpectedly, big wins improve two kinds of memory

Neuroscience NewsMay 6, 2019

Unexpected rewards boost memories of specific events. The findings may have implications for treating memory problems associated with depression. ... Read More...

FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology6 min read

News

Reconstructing spoken words as processed in nonhuman primate brains

Scientists discover key neural circuit regulating alcohol consumption

Neuroscience

Reconstructing spoken words as processed in nonhuman primate brains

How a protein in your brain could protect against Alzheimer’s disease

Neurology

Hydration may affect cognitive function in some older adults

Your genes aren’t the only factor dictating Alzheimer’s risk

Can eating ice cream make you scream?

AI

Reconstructing spoken words as processed in nonhuman primate brains

Through the eyes of animals

Neuroscientists develop models to identify internal states of the brain

Robotics

Trash talk hurts, even when it comes from a robot

Deep3DFly: the deep-learning way to design fly-like robots

Electronic glove offers ‘humanlike’ features for prosthetic hand users

Psychology

Could some people with schizophrenia in poorer nations simply have a vitamin deficiency?

reward system

One shot of ketamine could reduce problem drinking

Your brain on sugar: What the science actually says

So cute you could crush it? The neuroscience of “cute aggression”

Genetic variation contributes to individual differences in pleasure

Why marijuana affects different people differently

Ignoring cues for alcohol and fast food is hard – but is it out of our control?

Unraveling the brain’s reward circuits

Information addiction: How information is like snacks, money, and drugs to your brain

Formation of habitual use drives cannabis addiction

Growing up high: Neurobiological consequences of adolescent cannabis use

Inflammation induces anhedonia in women but not men

Unexpectedly, big wins improve two kinds of memory