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Urdu“When you’re deciding whether to turn left or right, or to eat the chocolate cake or the carrots, what’s happening in your brain?”
This simple question masks a complex web of brain activity. Computational neuroscientists are determined to untangle the web.
Tag: Dopamine
Brain Imaging of Neuromelanin May be Key to Understanding Extensive Substance Use
A study that used a specialized type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), named neuromelanin-sensitive MRI, showed that this type of MRI signal was increased in regions of the midbrain in young adults ages 20 to 24 who had an extensive alcohol and drug use history. The findings are published early online in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Challenging Current Understanding, Study Reveals Rapid Release of Dopamine Not Needed for Initiating Movement
At a glance: Study in mice reveals rapid release of dopamine is not needed for initiating movement but is important for activities related to reward-seeking and motivation. The findings help explain why the widely used Parkinson’s drug levodopa improves movement-related symptoms but often fails to ameliorate some cognitive ones. The work may inform the development of new therapies that restore both slow and fast dopamine action to treat multiple symptoms.
Florida Atlantic University Parkinson’s Expert Available
Dr. Michael R. Dobbs, from Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine, comments on Parkinson’s Disease: “It takes a lot of courage for a celebrity to share that they have Parkinson’s disease. By coming forward, they not only reveal their personal…
Study Shows Differences in How Patients with Impulse Control Disorder Process Consequences
In a new study, published online today in Scientific Reports, researchers found differences in how people with ICD process the consequences of their actions compared to those without ICD, both on and off medication.
First-in-humans discovery reveals brain chemicals working behind the scenes during decision-making
The idea that people make decisions based on social context is not a new one in neural economic games. But now, for the first time, researchers publishing in Nature Human Behavior show the impact of the social context may spring from the dynamic interactions of dopamine and serotonin. Researchers built carbon-fiber electrodes that were implanted in patients receiving Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. The method allows researchers to measure more than one neurotransmitter at a time, revealing a dance that has never been seen before
Scientists reveal structures of neurotransmitter transporter
Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital determined structures of a transporter protein involved in the movement of neurochemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, unearthing multiple mechanisms that can guide drug development.
Amid Cocaine Addiction, the Brain Struggles to Evaluate Which Behaviors Will Be Rewarding
Rutgers researchers find long-term users of cocaine may continue with unrewarding behavior because of changes in brain structure and chemistry responsible for generating an important teaching signal.
When needs compete, love trumps thirst
Researchers tracked the brain’s dopamine reward system and found – for the first time – this system flexibly retunes toward the most important goal when faced with multiple competing needs.
What happens to our dopamine system when we experience aversive events?
A new study at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience has examined how the dopamine system processes aversive unpleasant events.
Rare Human Gene Variant in ADHD, Autism Exposes Fundamental Sex Differences
Key differences in male and female mice brains provide new insights into how sex determines the mechanisms by which distinct synapses monitor and regulate dopamine signaling. The impact of sex differences is particularly pronounced when the mice express a human genetic variant found in boys with either ADHD or autism. Behavioral generalizations across the sexes may limit diagnosis of mental illness, especially if one sex translates alterations into outward signs such as hyperactivity and aggression vs. more internal manifestations such as learning, memory and mood, even when the same molecular pathology is at work.
Study Indicates Neurosurgical Procedure Used to Measure Dopamine and Serotonin Is Safe
Scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have demonstrated that a neurosurgical procedure used to research and measure dopamine and serotonin in the human brain is safe.
Their findings are published online in PLOS One, a journal published by the Public Library of Science.
A role for cell ‘antennae’ in managing dopamine signals in the brain
A historically overlooked rod-like projection present on nearly every cell type in the human body may finally be getting its scientific due: A new study has found that these appendages on neurons in the brain have a key role in ensuring a specific dopamine receptor’s signals are properly received.
Boost in Nerve-Growth Protein Helps Explain Why Running Supports Brain Health
Exercise increases levels of a chemical involved in brain cell growth, which bolsters the release of the “feel good” hormone dopamine, a new study shows. Dopamine is known to play a key role in movement, motivation, and learning.
New UCI study reveals brain circuit responsible for cocaine withdrawal-induced anxiety and relapse-related behavior
New research from the University of California, Irvine, finds that drug withdrawal-induced anxiety and reinstatement of drug seeking behaviors are controlled by a single pathway in the brain and centered around dopamine cells.
Dopamine involved in recognizing emotions
The neurotransmitter dopamine, famous for its role in reward, is also involved in recognizing emotions, according to new research published in JNeurosci.
April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month
Parkinson’s Disease Awareness month is dedicated to raising awareness and support for patients suffering from this progressive brain disorder. Learn more about Parkinson’s disease, treatment options and support for those with Parkinson’s.
Release of Chemical Dopamine in Infant Brains May Help Control Early Social Development
Changing levels of the chemical dopamine, a chemical most associated with motivation, may help explain why stressful experiences during infancy can lead to lasting behavioral issues, a new study in rodents shows.
Mount Sinai Neurobiologist Selected as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has selected Ian Maze, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience, and Pharmacological Sciences, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, as an HHMI Investigator.
New research “sniffs out” how associative memories are formed
Has the scent of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies ever taken you back to afternoons at your grandmother’s house? Has an old song ever brought back memories of a first date? The ability to remember relationships between unrelated items (an odor and a location, a song and an event) is known as associative memory.
Beyond dopamine: New reward circuitry discovered
Researchers from the Bruchas Lab at the University of Washington School of Medicine pushed the science forward on our reward pathways and found there is another pathway beyond dopamine.
‘Feel Good’ Brain Messenger Can Be Willfully Controlled, New Study Reveals
UC San Diego researchers and their colleagues have discovered that spontaneous impulses of dopamine, the neurological messenger known as the brain’s “feel good” chemical, occur in the brain of mice. The study found that mice can willfully manipulate these random dopamine pulses for reward.
Spontaneous Mammary Neoplasia, Cannabidiol Exposure, Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptors, and More Featured in July 2021 Toxicological Sciences
Toxicological Sciences delivers the latest toxicology research in the July 2021 issue. The issue features investigations in delivers the latest toxicology research in areas such as exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, effects of ENDS vapors on amino acid metabolism, and more.
Reusable respirator could ease COVID-19 medical mask shortages
In addition to smoothing out wrinkles, researchers have found that the drug Botox can reveal the inner workings of the brain. A new study used it to show that feedback from individual nerve cells controls the release of dopamine, a chemical messenger involved in motivation, memory, and movement.
Mice with hallucination-like behaviors reveal insight into psychotic illness
A computer game that induces mice to experience hallucination-like events could be a key to understanding the neurobiological roots of psychosis, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Pain Sensitivity Differences in Males, Females – Does Dopamine Play a Role?
This discovery from UNC School of Medicine scientists, published in the journal Neuron, could help the scientific community devise better pain management strategies, particularly for women, who are disproportionally affected by pain throughout their lifespans.
Mystery of Metabolic Dysfunction in Psychiatric Patients Solved. The Key? Dopamine in the Pancreas.
Antipsychotic drugs not only block dopamine signaling in the brain but also in the pancreas, leading to uncontrolled production of blood glucose-regulating hormones and, eventually, obesity and diabetes.
Dopamine Surge Reveals How Even for Mice, ‘There’s No Place Like Home’
“There’s no place like home,” has its roots deep in the brain. Using fiber photometry, scientists are the first to show that home evokes a surge of dopamine in mice that mimics the response to a dose of cocaine. The study demonstrates how dopamine rises rapidly in mice moved from a simple recording chamber to their home cage, but less so when they return to a cage not quite like the one they knew.
Scientists find neurochemicals have unexpectedly profound roles in the human brain
Dopamine and serotonin are at work at sub-second speeds to shape how people perceive the world and take action based on their perception. The discovery shows researchers can simultaneously measure the activity of both dopamine and serotonin in disorders ranging from depression to Parkinson’s disease.
Finding Right Drug Balance for Parkinson’s Patients
Parkinson’s disease is most commonly treated with levodopa, but the benefits wear off as the disease progresses and high doses can result in dyskinesia, which are involuntary and uncontrollable movements. To better understand the underlying reasons behind these effects, researchers created a model of the interactions between levodopa, dopamine, and the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that plays a crucial role in Parkinson’s disease. They discuss their findings in the journal Chaos.
New dopamine sensors could help unlock the mysteries of brain chemistry
In 2018, Tian Lab at UC Davis Health developed dLight1, a single fluorescent protein-based biosensor. This sensor allows high resolution, real-time imaging of the spatial and temporal release of dopamine in live animals. Now, the team expanded the color spectrum of dLight1 to YdLight1 and RdLight1. The increased light penetration and imaging depth of these variants provide enhanced dopamine signal quality allowing researchers to optically dissect dopamine’s release and model its effects on neural circuits.
Research News Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins Medicine
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johns Hopkins Medicine Media Relations is focused on disseminating current, accurate and useful information to the public via the media. As part of that effort, we are distributing our “COVID-19 Tip Sheet: Story Ideas from Johns Hopkins” every other Tuesday.
Alcohol Use in Early Adolescence may Alter Reward Motivation
The brain responds to rewarding stimuli by increasing the release of a neurotransmitter called dopamine. When we feel motivated, it is because our brain anticipates this dopamine reward.
The transition from early to mid-adolescence is associated with increased reward sensitivity and reward-seeking behavior, a consequence of normal brain development. This heightened sensitivity or prioritization of reward can be thought of as reflecting a greater motivation to obtain rewards. A new study, published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, has addressed whether drinking alcohol in early adolescence might impact the brain’s reward systems, by examining associations between alcohol initiation and subsequent changes in reward motivation while accounting for baseline scores. Differences between boys and girls were also evaluated.
New Discovery May Lead to Effective and Natural Treatment for Parkinson’s Disease
Summary: Investigators have identified two molecules naturally produced by the body that stimulate the production of dopamine, the molecule that is in short supply in the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease. Highlights: – The Nurr1 protein maintains thehealth of neurons…
Research reveals how muscles talk to the brain to regulate feeding behavior
A study from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital sheds light on the mechanisms governing feeding behavior in fruit flies and how skeletal muscle communicates energy needs to the brain.
Researchers Find New Role for Dopamine in Gene Transcription and Cell Proliferation
A joint group of researchers at the George Washington University and the University of Pittsburgh have found that dopamine and the dopamine D2 receptor modulate expression via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. This pathway is responsible for control of cell proliferation and organ identity and is implicated in cancer, thus having broad implications for health and development of new therapeutics