Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

Researchers uncover gene that plays role in cocaine addiction

Cocaine can have a devastating effect on people. It directly stimulates the brain's reward center, and, more importantly, induces long-term changes to the reward circuitry that are responsible for addictive behaviors.

12 Jul 2018

Sodium nitroprusside treatment prevents schizophrenia symptoms in animal model

Researchers at the Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil have tested a treatment with sodium nitroprusside in a strain of rats that spontaneously develop some of the symptoms associated with schizophrenia.

12 Jul 2018

Study finds disrupted stress response in people with schizophrenia

Stressful situations affect the brain and body differently in people with schizophrenia compared to people without the mental illness or individuals at high risk for developing psychosis, a new CAMH study shows.

11 Jul 2018

Researchers question previous understanding of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease was first described by a British doctor more than 200 years ago. The exact causes of this neurodegenerative disease are still unknown.

6 Jul 2018

Study: Mice that lack certain brain receptor get attracted to situations associated with discomfort

The brains of both humans and other animals have circuits that connect powerful impressions from the senses to positive or negative feelings - a function that is necessary for survival.

3 Jul 2018

Compulsively checking social media could be hurting our brain

You know that warm feeling you get when you see lots of likes from a Facebook or Instagram post? That's the reward system of your brain lighting up like fireflies on a dark summer night.

30 Jun 2018

Suicide at higher altitudes unlikely to be caused by hypoxia

Following an extensive analysis of published studies, researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have found that while suicide rates are higher at higher altitudes, they are unlikely caused by hypoxia, (low oxygen) at these elevations.

27 Jun 2018

Study details role of dopamine in unlearning fear

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science have discovered a circuit in the brain that is necessary for unlearning fear. Published in Nature Communications, the study details the role of dopamine in ensuring that rats stop being afraid when there isn't anything to be afraid of anymore.

27 Jun 2018

Impulse control disorders found to be more common in people taking Parkinson's drugs

Over time, half of the people taking certain drugs for Parkinson's disease may develop impulse control disorders such as compulsive gambling, shopping or eating, according to a study published in the June 20, 2018, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Jun 2018

Unusual gene provides novel insight into how the brain wires itself

The study of a Quebec family with an unusual gene provides novel insight into how our brain is built and, according to the McGill led team of scientists, offers a better understanding of psychiatric disorders such as depression, addictions, and schizophrenia.

19 Jun 2018

Scientists find key biomarker of Parkinson's disease in the retina

A research involving scientists from the University of Alicante and the United States notes that the accumulation of a protein known as alpha-synuclein in the retina is a key Parkinson's biomarker that could help detect the degree of severity of the disease.

8 Jun 2018

Study: Immunization with beneficial bacteria can have long-lasting anti-inflammatory effects on the brain

Immunization with beneficial bacteria can have long-lasting anti-inflammatory effects on the brain, making it more resilient to the physical and behavioral effects of stress, according to new research by University of Colorado Boulder scientists.

7 Jun 2018

With the rise of legal weed, drug education moves from ‘don’t’ to ‘delay’

California legalized marijuana in 2016, and this past New Year’s Eve eager customers lined up in the darkness outside medical marijuana dispensaries across the state, ready to start shopping at the stroke of midnight.

7 Jun 2018

New program to help people struggling with food addiction

Food Addiction is a prominent issue in society with over 10% of the general population deeply addicted to food or overeating.

6 Jun 2018

Study reveals how pesticides cause Parkinson's Disease

A recent study has shown that pesticides prevent mitochondria from functioning correctly, causing cell death and Parkinson’s Disease.

6 Jun 2018

Exercise alters brain's dopamine system to help treat addiction, study finds

New research by the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions has identified a key mechanism in how aerobic exercise can help impact the brain in ways that may support treatment - and even prevention strategies - for addiction.

25 May 2018

Bath geriatrician leads new UK-wide trial into Parkinson’s disease

It will test whether a commonly prescribed dementia drug could prevent debilitating falls for people with the disease. Falls are a frequent complication of Parkinson's, which affect around 60 percent of the 127,000-people diagnosed with the condition each year.

24 May 2018

Study uncovers why pesticide exposure increases Parkinson's disease risk in some people

A new University of Guelph study has discovered why exposure to pesticides increases some people's risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

24 May 2018

Study explores brain chemistry of alcohol exposure in people with family history of AUD

People with a family history of alcohol use disorder release more dopamine in the brain's main reward center in response to the expectation of alcohol than people diagnosed with the disorder, or healthy people without any family history of AUD, reports a new study in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging.

23 May 2018