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reward system

·February 27, 2021·7 min read

Psychological ‘Signature’ for the Extremist Mind Uncovered

Researchers conclude the mind of an extremist is marked by a mixture of conservative and dogmatic psychological signatures. Extremists tend to be cognitively cautious, slower at perceptual processing, and have weaker working memory. This is compounded by impulsive personality traits that seek sensation and risky experiences.

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Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·February 26, 2021·4 min read

Social Media Use Driven by Search for Reward, Akin to Animals Seeking Food

The use of social media, specifically to drive "likes" to our content, follows a pattern of "reward learning", much like when an animal is trained to seek food rewards.

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Featured Neuroscience

·February 18, 2021·4 min read

How the Brains of Obese People Function Differently From Those of Healthy Weight

People who suffer from obesity have stronger connections between brain areas associated with the motivation to eat and the rewarding effect of food consumption. Additionally, researchers found noted differences in the thickness of the cerebral cortex of obese test subjects.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·February 14, 2021·3 min read

The Science Behind Why Hobbies Can Improve Our Mental Health

From helping to reduce depression to boosting dopamine in the reward system, researchers review how taking up a hobby can have positive effects on mental health.

Featured Neurology Pain Psychology

·December 30, 2020·3 min read

Why Opioids Cannot Fix Chronic Pain

Study explores the role the reward system plays in chronic pain, finding emotional and physical pain are bidirectional. Opioids, researchers report, ultimately make things worse.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 16, 2020·3 min read

Changes to the Brain’s Reward System May Drive Overeating in Mice

Diet-induced changes to the reward system and innate differences may predispose mice to over-eating.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·November 3, 2020·5 min read

Your Favorite Music Can Send Your Brain Into a Pleasure Overload

Do you experience the chills when you hear your favorite song? Researchers used EEG to map brain activity while people listened to their favorite tunes. Findings reveal specific brain areas work together to process music, triggering the reward system and increasing dopamine release.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 2, 2020·2 min read

Sleep-Deprived Mice Find Cocaine More Rewarding

Mouse study reveals sleep deprivation can increase the risk of cocaine addiction. Too little sleep increases the reward properties of cocaine, researchers report.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 5, 2020·5 min read

New Discoveries on Decision-Making Process

Neuroimaging and computational neuroscience studies reveal different ways and brain areas implicated in decision making.

Electrophysiology Featured Neuroscience

·August 3, 2020·3 min read

Green Apple Flavor in Vapes Enhances Nicotine Reward

Common green apple flavorant farnesene enhances nicotine reward in mouse models. The flavorant is also rewarding on its own. Researchers say with or without nicotine, flavored vapes, especially those containing farnesene, pose potential neurological risks, including addiction.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 31, 2020·3 min read

‘Talkative’ Brain Regions Create Self-Control Challenges for Teens With Obesity

Obesity risk in teens appears to be associated with stronger connectivity within and between regions of the brain implicated in determining the salience of stimuli. This may have implications for reward processing. Researchers report executive control efforts in the brain decrease when salience and reward-processing regions are engaged in teens with obesity.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·May 22, 2020·5 min read

Wired for marriage: The neural and genetic links to romantic love

Researchers have identified both genetic and neural mechanisms associated with romantic love and attachment. The maintenance of romantic love is not only associated with subcortical brain regions but also higher-order centers of the brain. The propensity to sustain romantic love appears to also be affected by genetic variability, specifically with genes associated with dopamine, vasopressin, and oxytocin.