Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

New findings provide insights into brain mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction

The human brain functions on a delicate balance of reinforcing positive behaviors and suppressing negative ones, which takes place in the dorsal striatum, a brain region critical for goal-directed behavior and implicated in drug and alcohol addiction.

25 May 2017

Drug-related cues increase craving, dopamine release in the brain of recreational cocaine users

Even among non-dependent cocaine users, cues associated with consumption of the drug lead to dopamine release in an area of the brain thought to promote compulsive use, according to researchers at McGill University.

24 May 2017

Obese women and men exhibit different brain activity related to overeating, study shows

A new study of obese people suggests that changes in their brains' reward regions make them more prone to overeating, and that women and men exhibit different brain activity related to overeating.

19 May 2017

Researchers identify mechanisms behind loss of sensory perception in Parkinson's disease

Although Parkinson's disease is often associated with motor symptoms such as stiffness, poor balance and trembling, the first symptoms are often sensory and include a reduced sense of touch and smell. In a study on mice, researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now been able to identify neural circuits and mechanisms behind this loss of sensory perception.

18 May 2017

Newly identified biomarkers could help predict cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease patients

New biomarkers identified by a research team in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania could help predict which Parkinson's disease patients will suffer significant cognitive deficits within the first three years of their diagnosis.

18 May 2017

NIH-funded study identifies brain cells in fruit flies that regulate protein hunger

Have you ever found yourself craving a steak or a burger? The brain controls our feelings of hunger and also determines the types of nutrients we should be seeking out.

11 May 2017

Researchers identify brain cells that drive fruit flies’ food choices based on nutrition needs

Using fruit flies, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have identified a specific and very small set of brain cells -- dubbed dopamine wedge neurons -- responsible for driving the insects' food preferences toward what they need, rather than what they like.

10 May 2017

Experts find benefits of antipsychotic medications to be much greater than side effects

An international group of experts has concluded that, for patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders, antipsychotic medications do not have negative long-term effects on patients' outcomes or the brain.

5 May 2017

Experts aim to develop noninvasive technology that accelerates learning

The adage "put your thinking caps on" might evoke visions of an elementary classroom, where a teacher has just admonished cherubic little learners about to embark on a particularly difficult academic adventure.

26 Apr 2017

Placebo can help reduce intensity of emotional pain from romantic rejection, study finds

Feeling heartbroken from a recent breakup? Just believing you're doing something to help yourself get over your ex can influence brain regions associated with emotional regulation and lessen the perception of pain.

25 Apr 2017

Cell cultures in petri dishes open new doors to brain research

The most complex organ in humans is the brain. Due to its complexity and, of course, for ethical reasons, it is extremely difficult to do scientific experiments on it - ones that could help us to understand neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, for example.

13 Apr 2017

Excessive smartphone use leads to social isolation and personal, workplace problems

Excessive smartphone use leads to problems, and females are especially susceptible to addiction, according to new research from Binghamton University- State University of New York.

12 Apr 2017

KU researcher reveals possible therapeutic intervention for 'chemobrain' in cancer patients

Findings offered by a University of Kansas researcher, identified as one of 20 'Must See Presenters' at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in early April, suggest a possible therapeutic intervention for "chemobrain," the cognitive impairment plaguing up to a third of cancer patients following chemotherapy.

12 Apr 2017

X-ray study sheds new light on promising drug target

Researchers hope to design a new generation of drugs against an array of deadly diseases. The task, however, is costly, arduous and often ineffective. One of the key challenges is understanding a particular class of proteins adorning cell surfaces, which are the targets of the majority of pharmaceutical drugs.

5 Apr 2017

MPA approves Renishaw study into chronic drug delivery system in Parkinson's patients

The Medicines Agency of Sweden, MPA, has authorised Herantis Pharma Plc and Renishaw plc’s randomised, placebo-controlled Phase 1-2 clinical study, for the investigation of Cerebral Dopamine Neurotrophic Factor (CDNF) and Renishaw’s chronic drug delivery system, in Parkinson’s patients.

4 Apr 2017

Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

New findings provide insights into brain mechanisms underlying alcohol addiction

Drug-related cues increase craving, dopamine release in the brain of recreational cocaine users

Obese women and men exhibit different brain activity related to overeating, study shows

Researchers identify mechanisms behind loss of sensory perception in Parkinson's disease

Newly identified biomarkers could help predict cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease patients

NIH-funded study identifies brain cells in fruit flies that regulate protein hunger

Researchers identify brain cells that drive fruit flies’ food choices based on nutrition needs

Experts find benefits of antipsychotic medications to be much greater than side effects

Experts aim to develop noninvasive technology that accelerates learning

Placebo can help reduce intensity of emotional pain from romantic rejection, study finds

Cell cultures in petri dishes open new doors to brain research

Excessive smartphone use leads to social isolation and personal, workplace problems

KU researcher reveals possible therapeutic intervention for 'chemobrain' in cancer patients

X-ray study sheds new light on promising drug target

MPA approves Renishaw study into chronic drug delivery system in Parkinson's patients

Researchers show how dopamine falls and fluctuates during migraine headache

Scientists target hunger's complex chemistry to yield promising treatments for obesity

Cerebellar stimulation improves schizophrenia-like thinking problems in rats

Study shows effect of spiritual retreats on neurotransmitter systems in the brain

UC researchers advocate ‘precision medicine’ approach to studying and treating Parkinson's disease

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich

Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

How cohesin mechanics and nanotracker tech are redefining DNA research

Todd Bauman and Chris Povich

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