To adapt to their environment and learn from past experiences, animals need to learn to associate stimuli in their environment (e.g., a particular sound or scent) and the rewards or threats that these stimuli are likely to ...
Food has something of a "magic hold" on us, as certain flavors and textures can pretty much dictate behavior. Just think about the spicy dish that keeps bringing you back to that remote Chinese restaurant, or the irresistibly ...
Apr 6, 2020
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Brain scientists led by Sebastian Haesler (NERF, empowered by IMEC, KU Leuven and VIB) have identified a causal mechanism of how novel stimuli promote learning. Novelty directly activates the dopamine system, which is responsible ...
Feb 5, 2020
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People who develop Parkinson's disease before age 50 may have been born with disordered brain cells that went undetected for decades, according to new Cedars-Sinai research. The research points to a drug that potentially ...
Jan 27, 2020
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In neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease, a specific group of neurons start to die one by one, causing movement problems and other symptoms. Scientists have long focused on finding out why these neurons die. ...
Nov 11, 2019
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Scientists at Scripps Research have discovered a molecular process in brain cells that may be a major driver of drug addiction, and thus may become a target for future addiction treatments.
Oct 23, 2019
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To some, a chocolate cake may spark a shot of pleasure typically associated with illicit drugs. A new study by Penn biologists offers some insights into that link, revealing new information about how the brain responds to ...
Jul 2, 2019
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More than three decades ago, scientists discovered that a chemical found in a synthetic opioid, MPTP, induced the onset of a form of Parkinson's disease. In a new study led by scientists from the School of Veterinary Medicine, ...
Jun 21, 2019
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Learning to avoid negative experiences requires an interplay of two distinct brain circuits, one to interpret "Yikes!" and drive learning, and the other, unexpectedly, to dial in the strength of that memory, a new fruit fly ...
May 14, 2019
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The tell-tale tremors of Parkinson's disease emerge from abnormal activity in a brain region crucial for voluntary movement. Using a mouse model of the disease, researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology ...
Feb 19, 2019
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