Dopamine News and Research

RSS

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.

New brain-penetrant agonist shows promise in protecting dopamine neurons for Parkinson's disease treatment

Researchers reported on Nurr1 as a promising therapeutic target for managing Parkinson's disease (PD).

20 Jul 2023

Study explores the effectiveness of caffeine consumption for headaches: trigger or remedy?

Caffeine has a dual role in headaches as it can induces or remediate them.

20 Jul 2023

New proteomic insights: cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers show promise in detecting dementia with Lewy bodies

Researchers conducted cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteome profiling and identified CSF proteins.

17 Jul 2023

Intensive exercise slows the course of Parkinson's disease, study finds

Neuroscientists from the Faculty of Medicine of the Catholic University, Rome Campus, and the A. Gemelli IRCCS Polyclinic Foundation found that intensive exercise could slow the course of Parkinson's disease and described the biological mechanisms.

14 Jul 2023

Genes required for complex behaviors originated around 650 million years ago

A team of scientists led by researchers from the University of Leicester have discovered that the genes required for learning, memory, aggression and other complex behaviors originated around 650 million years ago.

14 Jul 2023

Multiple discoveries open new paths for early prediction of Parkinson's disease trajectories

Hand tremors and slowed movements are two of the most widely recognized hallmarks of Parkinson's disease, and for many sufferers the first indication that something is amiss.

6 Jul 2023

Exercise is a viable intervention for improving depression and anxiety in young individuals, study finds

Study identifies the best type of exercise for preventing and treating depression in young individuals.

20 Jun 2023

Hot days, angry dogs: How environmental factors influence canine aggression

Higher temperatures, air pollution, and UV exposure contribute to increased rates of dog bites on hot, sunny, and smoggy days, emphasizing the impact of environmental factors on human-dog interactions.

19 Jun 2023

New mapping by Human Brain Project advances the understanding of neuroreceptor organization

A key challenge in neuroscience is to understand how the brain can adapt to a changing world, even with a relatively static anatomy.

19 Jun 2023

Smart drugs fall short as cognitive function enhancers

A recent Science Advances study investigated the effectiveness of three popular smart drugs, namely, modafinil (MOD), methylphenidate (MPH), and dextroamphetamine (DEX), against the difficulty of real-life daily tasks, i.e., the 0-1 knapsack optimization problem (“knapsack task”). A knapsack task is basically a combinatorial optimization task, the class of NP-time challenging problems.

18 Jun 2023

Revolution in neuroscience: 2D nanomaterials propel advances in brain repair, treatment, and diagnosis

Review discusses the increasing importance of two-dimensional nanomaterials like graphene in neuroscience, highlighting their potential in nerve repair, creating brain-mimicking synaptic devices, and treating neurological disorders. It also considers the challenges and future prospects of these materials in this complex field.

11 Jun 2023

Diabetes drug reduces alcohol drinking by more than half in rats

The medication semaglutide, which is currently used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, might also be an effective medication for alcohol dependence.

7 Jun 2023

Lindus Health secures funding to accelerate the use of technology for revolutionizing clinical trials

Ground-breaking trials run by London-based start-up Lindus Health are kicking off to find innovative treatments for conditions including tinnitus, insomnia and progressive childhood short-sightedness.

5 Jun 2023

Is there an association being plant-based diets and mental health?

Researchers determined the relationship between plant-origin diet indices and mental health disorders

2 Jun 2023

UQ neuroscientists uncover how vitamin D deficiency affects developing neurons in schizophrenia

Neuroscientists at The University of Queensland have uncovered how vitamin D deficiency affects developing neurons in schizophrenia, using new technology.

25 May 2023

Revolutionizing Schizophrenia Research with the Queensland Brain Institute

To commemorate World Schizophrenia Awareness Day, we spoke to three researchers from the Queensland Brain Institiute about their research, and why it is so important to raise awareness around Schizophrenia

23 May 2023

Caffeine connection: Pre-teen caffeine consumption linked to early nicotine use

Research explores the relationship between caffeine use and nicotine onset among early adolescents, shedding light on a potential contributing factor to youth nicotine initiation. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the influence of caffeine in preventing early nicotine use.

16 May 2023

Dopamine News and Research

Further Reading