Dopamine News and Research

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Dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter occurring in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five types of dopamine receptors — D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5, and their variants. Dopamine is produced in several areas of the brain, including the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area. Dopamine is also a neurohormone released by the hypothalamus. Its main function as a hormone is to inhibit the release of prolactin from the anterior lobe of the pituitary. Dopamine has many functions in the brain, including important roles in behavior and cognition, motor activity, motivation and reward, inhibition of prolactin production (involved in lactation), sleep, mood, attention, and learning. Dopaminergic neurons (i.e., neurons whose primary neurotransmitter is dopamine) are present chiefly in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain, substantia nigra pars compacta, and arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus.

Oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex revealed

A study published in the journal Pharmacological Research reveals the oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex, a component present in the brain which is involved in the analgesic and addictive effects of certain opioids.

22 Jul 2022

Using mobile and wearable proprietary technologies to remotely monitor Parkinson’s disease symptoms

Parkinson's Disease affects 10 million people worldwide and its symptoms include tremors in the fingers and hands, small handwriting, loss of smell, walking difficulties, dizziness, and others.

15 Jul 2022

Exploring the connection between Parkinson's disease and gut microbiota to uncover potential therapeutic targets

Scientists have published a new review focusing on the relationship between PD and gut microbiota.

15 Jul 2022

Research suggests a new pathway for developing Parkinson's disease

There is currently no cure for Parkinson's disease (PD), and one of the main difficulties for developing treatments is that we don't know exactly how or why the disease occurs.

4 Jul 2022

Study uncovers a new, specific target for developing treatments for cocaine addiction

Researchers have found that blocking certain acetylcholine receptors in the lateral habenula (LHb), an area of the brain that balances reward and aversion, made it harder to resist seeking cocaine in a rat model of impulsive behavior.

28 Jun 2022

Researchers uncover how dopamine in the cerebellum modulates social behaviors

The cerebellum is essential for sensorimotor control but also contributes to higher cognitive functions including social behaviors.

16 Jun 2022

Prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may affect the developing offspring's brain

Prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in everyday products may interfere with the developing offspring's brain, according to a rat study being presented Monday at ENDO 2022, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Atlanta, Ga.

13 Jun 2022

Targeting thalamic circuits could reverse Parkinson’s symptoms in mice

Parkinson's disease is best-known as a disorder of movement. Patients often experience tremors, loss of balance, and difficulty initiating movement. The disease also has lesser-known symptoms that are nonmotor, including depression.

8 Jun 2022

Molecular 'connector' may underlie gender differences in cocaine’s effects, mice study shows

Scientists have long known that cocaine works by latching on to molecular connectors on the surface of brain cells, allowing dopamine, a chemical that promotes feelings of pleasure and reward, to accumulate in the space between brain cells.

3 Jun 2022

Scientists propose a neurocomputational model of creative processes

"Many believe that creativity is assigned to a single brain region. But that is not the case," said Radwa Khalil. Together with scientists from South Africa and Australia, the neurobiologist at Jacobs University Bremen has proposed a computer-based model that assigns creative processes to neural networks in the brain.

3 Jun 2022

New, soft implantable probe can monitor fluctuations in brain chemicals

A new string-like implant can monitor fluctuations in brain chemicals, like a fitness tracker for the brain.

1 Jun 2022

Surprising outcomes trigger release of noradrenaline in the brain, MIT study finds

When your brain needs you to pay attention to something important, one way it can do that is to send out a burst of noradrenaline, according to a new MIT study.

1 Jun 2022

Researchers identify chemical compound that may short-circuit brain cell death in Parkinson's disease

In studies in mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they have identified a chemical compound that stops the final events in the pathway linked to the death of brain cells in Parkinson's disease.

1 Jun 2022

Changes in dopamine levels in the brain affect emotion-recognition

Emotion-recognition among people with disorders such as Parkinson's disease or schizophrenia may be affected by changes in the levels of dopamine in the brain, say researchers at the University of Birmingham.

24 May 2022

Molecular target discovery opens new pathways for developing effective anti-angiogenic cancer therapy

Researchers with The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute have identified a new molecular drug target that could result in new cancer drugs with fewer side effects.

20 May 2022

Dopamine News and Research

Further Reading

Oligomeric molecular structure of the MOR-Gal1R complex revealed

Using mobile and wearable proprietary technologies to remotely monitor Parkinson’s disease symptoms

Exploring the connection between Parkinson's disease and gut microbiota to uncover potential therapeutic targets

Research suggests a new pathway for developing Parkinson's disease

Study uncovers a new, specific target for developing treatments for cocaine addiction

Researchers uncover how dopamine in the cerebellum modulates social behaviors

Prenatal exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals may affect the developing offspring's brain

Targeting thalamic circuits could reverse Parkinson’s symptoms in mice

Molecular 'connector' may underlie gender differences in cocaine’s effects, mice study shows

Scientists propose a neurocomputational model of creative processes

New, soft implantable probe can monitor fluctuations in brain chemicals

Surprising outcomes trigger release of noradrenaline in the brain, MIT study finds

Researchers identify chemical compound that may short-circuit brain cell death in Parkinson's disease

Changes in dopamine levels in the brain affect emotion-recognition

Molecular target discovery opens new pathways for developing effective anti-angiogenic cancer therapy

‘Sting’ protein’s response to clean up damaged brain cells may accelerate Parkinson’s disease progression

SARS-CoV-2 infection could increase the risk of brain degeneration seen in Parkinson's disease

Cannabidiol for Parkinson's disease symptom management

Ultra-high strength 7T MRI scanner offers hope for treating cognitive symptoms in Parkinson’s patients

Exercise increases dopamine signaling in the mouse brain

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