Addiction

Researchers find hormone that increases the sex drive of mice

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg show that mice that receive a supplement of the "appetite hormone" ghrelin increase their sexual activity. Whether the hormone has the same impact on humans is unknown, but if it ...

Neuroscience

Neurotransmitter orexin influences pupil size, research shows

The way the brain regulates pupil size is different from previously thought: fundamentally responsible is the neurotransmitter orexin, as researchers at ETH Zurich have now shown. This discovery could well alter our understanding ...

Neuroscience

The Zuelch Prize 2013—reward for brain researchers

Maximum reward, minimum punishment: these are the maxims humans and animals often apply when making decisions. A network of nerve cells in the brain conveys gratification. This reward system uses the messenger substance dopamine ...

Neuroscience

Brain circuitry is different for women with anorexia and obesity

Why does one person become anorexic and another obese? A study recently published by a University of Colorado School of Medicine researcher shows that reward circuits in the brain are sensitized in anorexic women and desensitized ...

Psychology & Psychiatry

Teens' brains are more sensitive to rewarding feedback from peers

Teenagers are risk-takers—they're more likely than children or adults to experiment with illicit substances, have unprotected sex, and drive recklessly. But research shows that teenagers have the knowledge and ability to ...

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