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reward system

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·July 1, 2024·6 min read

Sex Differences Found in Brain’s Reward Pathways

A new study reveals sex differences in how the brain's reward pathways function, specifically in the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens. Males and females use different molecular mechanisms to strengthen these connections, influencing responses to treatments for disorders like depression and substance abuse. The findings highlight the need for more gender-specific research to develop effective therapies. Researchers hope this will lead to improved patient outcomes.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·April 18, 2024·8 min read

How Drugs Hijack the Brain’s Reward System

Researchers made significant advances in understanding how drugs like cocaine and morphine disrupt the brain's natural reward mechanisms. Their study reveals that these drugs manipulate the same brain cells responsible for processing natural rewards, leading to compulsive drug-seeking behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 26, 2024·4 min read

Brain Pathway Linking Movement, Addiction, and Rewards Discovered

Researchers have uncovered a previously unknown connection between the brain's basal ganglia and cerebellum, altering our understanding of motor learning and habit formation. This discovery suggests that the cerebellum plays a role in modulating dopamine levels in the basal ganglia, affecting both movement and reward processing.

Featured Neuroscience

·January 22, 2024·9 min read

Wealth Shapes Brain’s Reward Response

Researchers discovered that a child's socioeconomic status (SES) influences their brain's sensitivity to rewards. In their study, children from lower SES backgrounds exhibited less activation in the reward-linked striatum during a money-earning game, compared to those from higher SES backgrounds.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·October 25, 2023·5 min read

How Cocaine Rewires Brain’s Reward System

Researchers revealed, through neuroimaging, how cocaine addiction modifies the brain's reward evaluation system, impacting adaptive behavior. This modification explains the perplexing addictive behavior seen in users—persisting in harmful activities that often don't offer immediate benefits.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 7, 2023·5 min read

Differences in Dopamine Signals in Patients With History of Alcohol Use Disorder

The connection between dopamine and counterfactual information, or notions of relief and regret, is altered in those with alcohol use disorder.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 11, 2022·3 min read

What Happens to the Dopamine System When We Experience Aversive Events?

The dopamine system helps the brain anticipate the occurrence and duration of unpleasant events, but without taking errors into account.

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Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·September 30, 2022·5 min read

Why Do Some Kids Take Bigger Risks Than Others?

A parent's wealth and social status can influence a child's risk-taking behaviors.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 29, 2022·4 min read

Unraveling the Reward Behavior: The Mechanisms Underlying the Dopamine Signaling Pathway

The direct phosphorylation of KCNQ2 by ERK occurs through the activation of the dopamine signaling pathway in the nucleus accumbens of mice.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·September 27, 2022·3 min read

Mechanisms of Psychostimulants on Attention and Learning Revealed

Psychostimulants increase dopamine levels, enhancing task-relevant cortical signals by acting on the striatum and the difference in dopamine synthesis capacity in the striatum explains the variability in the drugs' cognitive effects.