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.

Association between vitamin D supplementation and fatigue

The mechanisms underlying vitamin D’s effects on fatigue.

12 Jan 2024

New approach to Parkinson's treatment focuses on stopping toxic protein production

Like the Greek mythological beast with a snake's tail and two ferocious heads, a potential Parkinson's medicine created in the lab of chemist Matthew Disney, Ph.D., is also a type of chimera bearing two heads.

9 Jan 2024

Researchers use a soft, wearable robot to help a person living with Parkinson’s walk without freezing

Researchers demonstrated the effectiveness of soft robotic apparel in averting Freezing of Gait (FoG) in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients, showcasing significant improvements in mobility and gait quality.

9 Jan 2024

IDO2 deficiency in mice leads to behavioral abnormalities resembling autism spectrum disorder

Over the past decades, scientists have made substantial progress unveiling the underlying mechanisms behind many psychiatric disorders.

4 Jan 2024

Study finds previously unidentified genetic mutation in a small protein provides significant protection against Parkinson’s disease

Researchers explored the effects of a small humanin-like peptide 2 (SHLP2) variant on mitochondrial function.

4 Jan 2024

Brain receptor discovery opens door to new therapies for addiction and mental health

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have uncovered insights into the potential mechanism of action of the antipsychotic medication asenapine, a possible therapeutic target for substance use and neuropsychiatric disorders.

2 Jan 2024

Study deciphers how misfolded protein drives dopaminergic neuron loss in Parkinson's

A so-called pathological protein long associated with Parkinson's disease has been found in a new study to trigger cells to increase protein synthesis, an event that eventually kills the subset of brain cells that die off in this neurodegenerative condition.

20 Dec 2023

Breakthrough in Parkinson's research: Scientists identify protein synthesis pathway as culprit

19 Dec 2023

Unlocking the secrets of dopamine-driven learning in the brain

Imagine you're teaching a dog to play fetch. You throw a ball, and your dog sprints after it, picks it up, and runs back. You then reward your panting pup with a treat.

13 Dec 2023

Natural supplements Guayusa tea and Lion’s Mane boost cognitive performance, study finds

Study shows that Guayusa extract and Nordic Lion’s Mane (LM) improve subjective cognitive perception and objective cognitive performance, highlighting their potential benefits in enhancing cognitive functions and mood.

10 Dec 2023

Study explores the intricate gut-brain-liver connection and its impact on health

Study reviews the gut-brain-liver axis, revealing the complex interplay between these organs in health and disease and the implications for therapeutic interventions, focusing on how gut microbiota affects liver and brain health.

10 Dec 2023

Vanderbilt's potential schizophrenia treatment enters phase 1 clinical trials

A potential schizophrenia treatment discovered through the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in phase 1 clinical trials-;the third WCNDD therapeutic to reach that benchmark.

7 Dec 2023

Music could hold the key to developing effective mental health interventions

How human beings respond to music and the biological underpinnings of this response.

6 Dec 2023

Organoid model unveils secrets of the brain's dopaminergic system

A new organoid model of the dopaminergic system sheds lights on its intricate functionality and potential implications for Parkinson's disease.

5 Dec 2023

Photobiomodulation shows promise as safe and tolerable adjunct therapy for Parkinson's Disease, recent trial suggests

A safe and feasible treatment option for reducing the motor signs of Parkinson's disease.

5 Dec 2023

Study offers new insights into ketamine's rewiring of the brain

Ketamine – an anesthetic also known for its illicit use as a recreational drug – has undergone a thorough reputational rehabilitation in recent years as the medical establishment has begun to recognize its wide-ranging therapeutic effects.

4 Dec 2023

Scientists uncover dopamine's role in learning from rewards and punishments

What happens in the human brain when we learn from positive and negative experiences? To help answer that question and better understand decision-making and human behavior, scientists are studying dopamine.

1 Dec 2023

Study reveals G6PD deficiency linked to higher ADHD risk and increased use of stimulant medications

The risk of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD)-deficient individuals.

1 Dec 2023

Innovative adhesive gel offers revolutionary treatment for gastrointestinal leaks

In a major advancement in medical technology, researchers at the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation have developed an adhesive gel, offering a revolutionary treatment for gastrointestinal leaks, a condition clinically known as enterocutaneous fistulas

30 Nov 2023

Dissecting how co-transmission of interneurons helps in odor detection and discrimination

A longstanding hypothesis in neurobiology was that a single neuron releases a single type of neurotransmitter, a molecule used by neurons to communicate with one another.

28 Nov 2023