When alcohol enters the brain, it causes neurons in a specialized region called the ventral tegmental area, or VTA—also known as the "pleasure center"—to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that produces those feel-good ...
Oct 22, 2018
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Do dopamine neurons have a role in causing cues in our environment to acquire value? And, if so, do different groups of dopamine neurons serve different functions within this process?
Aug 02, 2018
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Cocaine can have a devastating effect on people. It directly stimulates the brain's reward center, and, more importantly, induces long-term changes to the reward circuitry that are responsible for addictive behaviors. Alban ...
Jul 12, 2018
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The study of a Quebec family with an unusual gene provides novel insight into how our brain is built and, according to the McGill led team of scientists, offers a better understanding of psychiatric disorders such as depression, ...
Jun 18, 2018
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Northwestern scientists have discovered new mechanisms used by nicotine to manipulate the brain's reward pathway—findings which could inform the development of future anti-addiction therapies.
May 31, 2018
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A stress hormone modulates compulsive biting in a rat model of self-injurious behavior (SIB), according to new research published in JNeurosci. Manipulating the activity of the brain circuitry underlying SIB could create ...
May 14, 2018
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Individuals with a mutation in a gene involved in nervous system development have reduced connectivity between regions of the brain's reward system, finds a study of a four-generation Canadian family published in JNeurosci.
Apr 30, 2018
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A new link between diminished input from dopamine-firing cells deep inside the brain and the ability to form new memories could be crucial in detecting the earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease.
Mar 27, 2018
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Songbirds are providing insight into how a specific set of neurons may guide the learning of vocal behaviors in humans.
Mar 15, 2018
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The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a major role in mental illnesses like substance abuse disorders and depressive disorders, as well as a more general role in reward and motivational systems of the brain. But there are still ...
Feb 01, 2018
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