Dopaminergic News and Research

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A frontal brain region may be a potential biomarker for the early stages of nicotine addiction

Researchers examined the association of gray matter volume in initiating and sustaining smoking behavior among young adolescents.

21 Aug 2023

Obesity impairs brain's ability to learn associations

To control our behavior, the brain must be able to form associations. This involves, for example, associating a neutral external stimulus with a consequence following the stimulus (e.g., the hotplate glows red - you can burn your hand).

17 Aug 2023

A computational model identifies metabolites associated with Parkinson's disease

Researchers identify significant metabolites involved in the development and progression of Parkinson’s disease.

15 Aug 2023

The role of self-extracellular nucleic acids in neuroinflammation

Researchers explore the role of self-extracellular nucleic acids in diseases like stroke, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

14 Aug 2023

CRISPR/sgRNA-SAM therapy: a potential breakthrough for Parkinson's disease?

Researchers utilize the CRISPR-Cas9 system to induce the synthesis of dopamine (DA) in the brains of a rat model for Parkinson’s disease.

11 Aug 2023

Exploring molecular mechanisms and genetic dysregulation in aging and age-associated diseases

Researchers review existing data on the molecular basis of senescence and neurodegeneration in age-related brain diseases.

10 Aug 2023

Review examines visual disturbances among Parkinson’s disease patients

In a recent review published in Brain Sciences, researchers reviewed existing data on visual impairments among Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients.

9 Aug 2023

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

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

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

Edible mushrooms: the role of antioxidant compounds as potential candidates for neurodegenerative disease prevention and treatment

Researchers evaluated whether edible mushrooms aid in preventing neurodegenerative diseases.

18 Apr 2023

Exploring the tantalizing questions about sleep

Sleep is one of the most essential human activities -; so essential, in fact, that if we don't get enough sleep for even one night, we may struggle to think, react, and otherwise make it through the day.

11 Apr 2023

Is exposure to metal associated with the risk of Parkinson's disease?

Researchers reviewed the literature on metal exposure and Parkinson's disease risk.

7 Apr 2023

Parkinson's linked to higher levels of pheomelanin in brain: Could it be a biomarker or treatment target?

Researchers discover that the substantia nigra of individuals with Parkinson’s disease had a higher concentration of pheomelanin.

6 Apr 2023

Screening cultured stem cells for genetic mutations could ensure the accuracy of disease models

Induced pluripotent stem cells offer great therapeutic potential and are a valuable tool for understanding how different diseases develop.

24 Mar 2023

High-fat and high-sugar foods can rewire the brain

Chocolate bars, crisps and fries - why can't we just ignore them in the supermarket? Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne, in collaboration with Yale University, have now shown that foods with a high fat and sugar content change our brain: If we regularly eat even small amounts of them, the brain learns to consume precisely these foods in the future.

22 Mar 2023