Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

New study explores brain regions that drive the instinct to form lasting bonds

When it comes to forming a lasting bond, our longing for a partner may be as important as - if not more important than - how we react when we're with them, suggests a surprising new brain imaging study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

13 May 2020

Study pinpoints potential neural basis for monogamous reunion

When it comes to forming a lasting bond, our longing for a partner may be as important as--if not more important than--how we react when we're with them, suggests a surprising new brain imaging study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.

11 May 2020

Predictive models could more accurately detect early-stage Parkinson's disease

How is your sense of smell? Do you find yourself frequently dozing off during the day or thrashing about during dreams? Often, early stage Parkinson's disease does not present with typical motor disturbance symptoms, making diagnosis problematic.

11 May 2020

Research reveals mechanism underlying Parkinson's dyskinesia

Many people with Parkinson's disease eventually develop debilitating movements called dyskinesia, a side effect of their much-needed dopamine replacement medication.

3 May 2020

Combination of schizophrenia drug and radiation shows promise in treating glioblastoma

Researchers at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and colleagues have found that adding a drug once commonly used to treat schizophrenia to traditional radiation therapy helped improve overall survival in mice with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest and most difficult-to-treat brain tumors.

2 May 2020

Using Multiplex Assays to Discover Biomarkers for Parkinson’s Disease

In this interview, Dr. Polinski and Dr. Atabakhsh discuss the importance of developing biomarkers for Parkinson’s and the partnership between MJFF and Abcam.

From Abcam 1 May 2020

Schizophrenia related to abnormal fatty metabolism in the brain

Researchers discovered a brain deficiency in people with schizophrenia that could lead to development of new drug therapies.

28 Apr 2020

Cells from the gut's nervous system found to be involved in Parkinson's disease

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of North Carolina in the USA have mapped out the cell types behind various brain disorders.

27 Apr 2020

Study reveals potential therapeutic target for treating cocaine addiction

A new study explains how cocaine modifies functions in the brain revealing a potential target for therapies aimed at treating cocaine addiction.

22 Apr 2020

Study adds increasing evidence that autoimmunity plays a role in Parkinson's disease

A new study co-led by scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology adds increasing evidence that Parkinson's disease is partly an autoimmune disease. In fact, the researchers report that signs of autoimmunity can appear in Parkinson's disease patients years before their official diagnosis.

20 Apr 2020

New research gives further evidence that autoimmunity plays a role in Parkinson's disease

A new study adds increasing evidence that Parkinson's disease is partly an autoimmune disease.

20 Apr 2020

Mutated ATP1B gene a risk factor for Parkinson’s

The brain consists of about 100 billion neurons that form a complex and interconnected network in our brain, allowing us to generate complex thought patterns and actions. These neurons or nerve cells are the functional units of the nervous system that process and transmit information around the body. Neurodegenerative diseases develop with the progressive loss of these neurons.

14 Apr 2020

Recipients of 2020 Sleep Research Society awards announced

The Sleep Research Society has selected three outstanding sleep and circadian scientists as recipients of the 2020 Sleep Research Society awards, which recognize excellence in sleep and circadian research.

12 Apr 2020

Researchers discover how sweet taste perception is fine-tuned in response to diets

Researchers at the University of Sydney have discovered the basic science of how sweet taste perception is fine-tuned in response to different diets.

10 Apr 2020

Researchers discover novel role for dopamine that impacts gene expression related to cocaine abuse

A new role for dopamine independent of classic neurotransmission may be critical gene expression changes related to cocaine use.

9 Apr 2020

Discovery of novel brain-digestive link

Scientists across the globe have long studied the link between the brain and the digestive system. Previous studies have tied brain networks and how they influence the gastrointestinal tract or vice versa. Food has a unique effect on humans as food tastes or flavors often dictate food-seeking behaviors. So is the palate the only thing that controls food choices among humans?

6 Apr 2020

MRI sensor reveals how dopamine drives brain activity

Using a specialized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sensor, MIT neuroscientists have discovered how dopamine released deep within the brain influences both nearby and distant brain regions.

1 Apr 2020

Jumping genes help make functional brain cells in a lab dish

The process of making functional brain cells in a lab dish requires the precise activation of selfish genetic elements known as LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons.

26 Mar 2020

Research team identifies a molecule that directs neurons

The habenula is a small region at the centre of the brain, but is crucial for people's lives. It is made up of groups of nerve cells that control the "neurotransmitters" of the brain, that is to say substances like dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin.

24 Mar 2020

How Ritalin works: focus on benefits rather than costs of work

A new study published in the journal Science shows that brain stimulant drugs like Ritalin, often used to treat concentration problems in conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), work in a different way than commonly thought.

19 Mar 2020