Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

Stopping the death of synapses: an interview with Dr Soledad Galli

Synapses are the sites that connect neurons – sites where information is passed from one neuron to another. They are highly specialized structures and synaptic function is crucial for normal brain function.

11 Nov 2014

Mice may hold clues in development of ADHD, autism and bipolar disorder

A darting mouse may hold an important clue in the development of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism and bipolar disorder, according to a study by a Vanderbilt University-led research team recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

11 Nov 2014

Researchers edging closer to first ever stem cell transplants for people with Parkinson's disease

A major breakthrough in the development of stem cell-derived brain cells has put researchers on a firm path towards the first ever stem cell transplantations in people with Parkinson's disease. A new study presents the next generation of transplantable dopamine neurons produced from stem cells. These cells carry the same properties as the dopamine neurons found in the human brain.

7 Nov 2014

Cue processing altered in siblings of schizophrenia patients

The siblings of patients with schizophrenia have altered activity in the ventral striatum during reward anticipation and receipt, a study shows.

6 Nov 2014

Scientists develop human stem cell disease model of Parkinson's disease in a dish

A team of scientists led by The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute successfully created a human stem cell disease model of Parkinson's disease in a dish. Studying a pair of identical (monozygotic) twins, one affected and one unaffected with Parkinson's disease, another unrelated Parkinson's patient, and four healthy control subjects, the scientists were able to observe key features of the disease in the laboratory, specifically differences in the patients' neurons' ability to produce dopamine, the molecule that is deficient in Parkinson's disease.

6 Nov 2014

New study finds link between conflict and reinforcement learning

We celebrate our triumphs over adversity, but let's face it: We'd rather not experience difficulty at all. A new study ties that behavioral inclination to learning: When researchers added a bit of conflict to make a learning task more difficult, that additional conflict biased learning by reducing the influence of reward and increasing the influence of aversion to punishment.

6 Nov 2014

Even brief workouts can reduce risk of relapse during meth withdrawal

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found that even brief workouts can reduce the risk of relapse in rats withdrawing from methamphetamine. In addition, the team found that exercise affected the neurons in a brain region that had never before been associated with meth withdrawal, suggesting a new direction for drug development.

5 Nov 2014

Neurocrine Biosciences' NBI-98854 drug gets breakthrough designation for tardive dyskinesia

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for its Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2 inhibitor, NBI-98854, in tardive dyskinesia.

30 Oct 2014

Engineered cells reveal changes associated with learning, memory and reward

Scientists have created cells with fluorescent dyes that change color in response to specific neurochemicals. By implanting these cells into living mammalian brains, they have shown how neurochemical signaling changes as a food reward drives learning, they report in Nature Methods online October 26.

27 Oct 2014

Early brain imaging studies may help prevent vascular diseases

Future prevention and treatment strategies for vascular diseases may lie in the evaluation of early brain imaging tests long before heart attacks or strokes occur, according to a systematic review conducted by a team of cardiologists, neuroscientists, and psychiatrists from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published in the October issue of JACC Cardiovascular Imaging.

27 Oct 2014

Virginia Tech professor developing vaccine that could help smokers overcome nicotine addiction

A Virginia Tech professor is working on a vaccine that could help smokers conquer their nicotine addiction, making many smoking-related diseases and deaths relics of the 21st century.

27 Oct 2014

Levodopa dose linked to malnutrition risk in Parkinson’s disease

The malnutrition often seen in patients with Parkinson’s disease could be partly an effect of levodopa medication, research suggests.

22 Oct 2014

Aspirin can improve efficacy of schizophrenia treatments

A new study shows that some anti-inflammatory medicines, such as aspirin, estrogen, and Fluimucil, can improve the efficacy of existing schizophrenia treatments. This work is being presented at the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology conference in Berlin.

20 Oct 2014

New drug naming system to be presented at ECNP conference in Berlin

What's in a name? Doctors have found that the name of the drug you are prescribed significantly influences how the patient sees the treatment.

20 Oct 2014

New research shows link between birth season and mood disorders

New research shows that the season you are born has a significant impact on your risk of developing mood disorders. People born at certain times of year may have a greater chance of developing certain types of affective temperaments, which in turn can lead to mood disorders (affective disorders).

20 Oct 2014

Eating high-protein breakfast reduces food cravings, overeating later on

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many teens skip breakfast, which increases their likelihood of overeating and eventual weight gain. Statistics show that the number of adolescents struggling with obesity, which elevates the risk for chronic health problems, has quadrupled in the past three decades.

16 Oct 2014

Researchers define the process of Parkinson's disease using genetic mouse model

Parkinson's Disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. In Germany alone, almost half a million people are affected. The focus of the disease is the progressive degeneration of dopamine-producing nerve cells in a certain region of the midbrain, the substantia nigra. Misfolded proteins are the cause. Until recently, it was unclear why damage is confined to specific nerve cells.

16 Oct 2014

AT2101 drug, evaluated for Gaucher disease, slows progression of Parkinson's disease in mice

A new study from UCLA found that a drug being evaluated to treat an entirely different disorder helped slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in mice.

9 Oct 2014

Acacia Pharma reports positive results from APD421 Phase 3 studies for management of PONV

Acacia Pharma announces positive Phase 3 results with APD421 for the management of post-operative nausea & vomiting (PONV). The data generated demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of PONV with APD421 compared to placebo in adult surgical patients at moderate to high risk of suffering PONV (PONV is defined as any episode of emesis or use of antiemetic rescue medication in the first 24 hours after surgery).

7 Oct 2014

U-M scientists launch $11.5 million effort to better understand cause of Parkinson's disease

Deep in the brains of the million Americans with Parkinson's disease, changes to their brain cells put them at high risk of dangerous falls -- a problem that resists even the most modern treatments.

7 Oct 2014

Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

Stopping the death of synapses: an interview with Dr Soledad Galli

Mice may hold clues in development of ADHD, autism and bipolar disorder

Researchers edging closer to first ever stem cell transplants for people with Parkinson's disease

Cue processing altered in siblings of schizophrenia patients

Scientists develop human stem cell disease model of Parkinson's disease in a dish

New study finds link between conflict and reinforcement learning

Even brief workouts can reduce risk of relapse during meth withdrawal

Neurocrine Biosciences' NBI-98854 drug gets breakthrough designation for tardive dyskinesia

Engineered cells reveal changes associated with learning, memory and reward

Early brain imaging studies may help prevent vascular diseases

Virginia Tech professor developing vaccine that could help smokers overcome nicotine addiction

Levodopa dose linked to malnutrition risk in Parkinson’s disease

Aspirin can improve efficacy of schizophrenia treatments

New drug naming system to be presented at ECNP conference in Berlin

New research shows link between birth season and mood disorders

Eating high-protein breakfast reduces food cravings, overeating later on

Researchers define the process of Parkinson's disease using genetic mouse model

AT2101 drug, evaluated for Gaucher disease, slows progression of Parkinson's disease in mice

Acacia Pharma reports positive results from APD421 Phase 3 studies for management of PONV

U-M scientists launch $11.5 million effort to better understand cause of Parkinson's disease

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

Quality, Patient Safety and Innovation Manager at Elsevier

How Bruker worked with the University of Manchester on mapping the dynamics of complex protein

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Dopamine News and Research

Latest Dopamine News and Research

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

Quality, Patient Safety and Innovation Manager at Elsevier

How Bruker worked with the University of Manchester on mapping the dynamics of complex protein

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

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