FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·May 13, 2020Significant differences exist among neurons expressing dopamine receptorsDopamine receptors have different molecular features and functions depending on their anatomical location within the striatum. The findings could help develop better-targeted treatments for a range of disorders from schizophrenia to Parkinson's disease. Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·May 1, 2020Parkinson’s dyskinesia mechanism explainedInvoluntary movements and tremors caused as a result of taking dopamine replacement medications for Parkinson's disease can be alleviated through the suppression of RasGRP1. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·April 1, 2020How dopamine drives brain activityNeuroimaging reveals how dopamine released from the striatum influences brain activity in the motor cortex and insular. Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 29, 2020How CBD takes effect in the brains of people with psychosisDuring memory tasks, people with psychosis have different patterns of activity in the prefrontal and mediotemporal brain areas compared to those without the disorder. When exposed to cannabidiol (CBD), the activity of the brain areas became more like those seen in the controls for people with psychosis. Patients reported a decrease in symptoms of psychosis following one dose of CBD. Researchers stress that no definitive conclusions could be made about the effectiveness of CBD use over a sustained period. Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurologyNeuroscience·January 27, 2020Parkinson’s disease may start before birth10% of patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are between the ages of 21 and 50. For those with young-onset Parkinson's disease, researchers report the foundations for the disease may have been apparent before they were born. The study also points to a drug, currently approved to treat precancerous skin growths, that has the potential to reduce elevated levels of alpha-synuclein. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·January 17, 2020Rich rewards: ADHD medication’s effect on the brainMethylphenidate may boost norepinephrine levels in the prefrontal cortex, which in turn regulates dopaminergic neurons firing in the striatum, when a reward is delivered. The study sheds new light on how medications for ADHD affect the reward system in the brain. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·December 27, 2019A molecular map of the brain’s decision-making areaUsing RNA sequencing, researchers have created a spatiomolecular map of the striatum, an area of the brain implicated in decision making and addiction. Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·October 4, 2019Promising steps towards hope for a treatment for schizophreniaMu-opioid receptor (MOR) levels are significantly reduced in the striatum in those with schizophrenia. A lack of MOR system stimulation contributes to negative feelings, such as a lack of motivation and anhedonia, associated with the condition. Increasing MOR levels could help to reduce some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·September 13, 2019How emotion affects actionResearchers have identified a comprehensive circuit mechanism that governs how emotional states can influence movement through connections in the basal ganglia. The mechanism represents a way in which emotional states relate to changes in action control in depression, anxiety, and OCD. Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·August 27, 2019Neurological brain markers might detect risk for psychotic disordersResearchers have identified a new biomarker for psychosis in the striatal dopamine neurons. Those at risk for psychosis showed increased activation in the striatum for positive feedback and decreased activation when faced with negative feedback. Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·August 1, 2019Brain activity may help predict success of CBT in depressionOnly 45% of patients with major depressive disorder find benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). A neuroimaging study reveals those who respond to CBT have greater neural activity in the right striatum and right amygdala pretreatment than those who find little benefit from the treatment. The findings could serve as a biomarker to discover who will respond to CBT. Read More
AutismFeaturedGeneticsNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience Articles·July 25, 2019Brain protein mutation from child with autism causes autism-like behavioral change in miceResearchers implanted a genetic mutation that encodes the DAT protein from a child with ASD into mice. The mice began to exhibit autism-like behavioral deficits. Mice with the DAT T356M mutation had reduced social interaction and a loss in social dominance. The mice also demonstrated an increase in hyperactivity. At the physiological level, the researchers found impaired striatal dopamine transmission and clearance. Read More
