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.

Researchers identify brain cells responsible for shifts in the sleep-wake rhythm

A research team of the Center for Brain Research at the Medical University of Vienna has identified a specific cell group in the brain responsible for shifts in the sleep-wake rhythm caused by psychostimulants.

11 Oct 2022

New genetically based score could help identify young children at high risk of impulsive behavior

While not all impulsive behavior speaks of mental illness, a wide range of mental health disorders which often emerge in adolescence, including depression and substance abuse, have been linked to impulsivity. So, finding a way to identify and treat those who may be particularly vulnerable to impulsivity early in life is especially important.

7 Oct 2022

Addiction experts fear the fallout if California legalizes sports betting

Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that states could legalize betting on sports, California — with 40 million people and numerous professional teams — has been the great white whale, eluding gambling companies and casino-hosting tribal communities.

5 Oct 2022

Does leptin play a role in Parkinson’s disease?

Scientists review in vitro and in vivo evidence associated with Parkinson's disease and leptin.

26 Sep 2022

Human gene variant in ADHD, autism exposes sex-dependence of neuronal signaling mechanisms

The prevalence, age of onset, and clinical symptoms for virtually all neuropsychiatric disorders differ between men and women. Among the disorders with pronounced sex bias are Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), where the ratio of males/females diagnosed is approximately 4 to 1.

21 Sep 2022

Neurocomputational model could shed light on the development of cognitive abilities

A new study introduces a new neurocomputational model of the human brain that could shed light on how the brain develops complex cognitive abilities and advance neural artificial intelligence research.

20 Sep 2022

Exercise hormone irisin blocks Parkinson's-associated α-synuclein aggregation and related neuronal toxicity

A new paper discusses the hope held out by recent results on a compound called irisin, a short protein secreted by skeletal muscle that produces some exercise-related effects on the brain.

15 Sep 2022

Exercise hormone reduces protein levels linked to Parkinson's disease

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston have shown that a hormone secreted into the blood during endurance, or aerobic, exercise reduces levels of a protein linked to Parkinson's disease and halts movement problems in mice.

12 Sep 2022

How a key brain network responds to seasonal shifts in day length

A recent paper examined the difference in neuronal communication in the hypothalamic network that regulates physiological function in response to the photoperiod.

8 Sep 2022

Exposure to blue light may accelerate aging

A new study provides insights into the novel mechanisms through which blue light exposure interferes with non-retinal cell metabolic pathways in flies.

5 Sep 2022

Study sheds light on how seasonal changes in day length alter the brain and subsequent behavior

Seasonal changes in light -; longer days in summer, shorter in winter -; have long been associated with human behaviors, affecting everything from sleep and eating patterns to brain and hormonal activity.

2 Sep 2022

The currently available evidence on viral-induced parkinsonism

A new review attempts to summarize all known about the relationship between viral illness and parkinsonian disorders to facilitate further research.

31 Aug 2022

Inactivation of particular protein complex associated with Parkinson's and anxiety disorders

Inactivation of a particular protein complex that plays a key role in keeping genes switched off leads to nerve cells not producing enough essential neurotransmitters.

29 Aug 2022

Scientists demonstrate safety of neurosurgical procedure used to measure dopamine and serotonin

Scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have demonstrated that a neurosurgical procedure used to research and measure dopamine and serotonin in the human brain is safe.

24 Aug 2022

Eating disorders could be treated by modulating gut microbiota

Researchers describe how the gut-brain axis facilitates communication between the gastrointestinal tract and brain to regulate food consumption behaviors.

17 Aug 2022

Neuronal cilia are important for dopamine receptor 1 signaling, study shows

A historically overlooked rod-like projection present on nearly every cell type in the human body may finally be getting its scientific due: A new study has found that these appendages, called cilia, on neurons in the brain have a key role in ensuring a specific dopamine receptor's signals are properly received.

9 Aug 2022

Study sheds light on the pathogenic brain mechanisms associated with evolution of anxiety

Monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine play important roles in our cognitive and emotional functions.

5 Aug 2022

Therapeutic use of ketamine may be safe, study suggests

Commonly used in medicine as an anesthetic, ketamine is also increasingly prescribed to relieve depressive symptoms. This very fast-acting psychotropic drug is particularly indicated for the treatment of patients resistant to conventional antidepressants.

4 Aug 2022

VR balance training is highly effective in improving balance ability of patients with Parkinson's disease

JMIR Publications recently published "Benefits of Virtual Reality Balance Training for Patients With Parkinson Disease: Systematic Review, Meta-analysis, and Meta-Regression of a Randomized Controlled Trial" in JMIR Serious Games, which reported that virtual reality (VR) balance training is increasingly being pursued in biomedical research, specifically with respect to investigating balance ability with VR.

2 Aug 2022

Gene mutation responsible for hereditary hemochromatosis may be a risk factor for movement disorders

A disorder called hereditary hemochromatosis, caused by a gene mutation, results in the body absorbing too much iron, leading to tissue damage and conditions like liver disease, heart problems and diabetes.

1 Aug 2022