Scientists have found that the pleasurable experience of listening to music releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain important for more tangible pleasures associated with rewards, such as food, drugs, and sex. The new study from The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital – The Neuro at McGill University also reveals that even the anticipation of […]
Tag Archives | Dopamine
Brain Imaging Finds Reduced Pleasure From Food Contributes To The Vicious Cycle Of Overeating And Obesity
New research provides evidence of the vicious cycle created when an obese individual overeats to compensate for reduced pleasure from food. Obese individuals have fewer pleasure receptors and overeat to compensate, according to a study by University of Texas at Austin senior research fellow and Oregon Research Institute senior scientist Eric Stice and his colleagues […]
Chemical System In Brain Behaves Differently In Cocaine Addicts
UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have identified a chemical system in the brain that reacts differently in cocaine addicts, findings that could result in new treatment options for individuals addicted to the drug. The findings were published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
Brain Network Links Cognition And Motivation
Whether it is sports, poker, or the high-stakes world of business, there are those who always find a way to win when there is money on the table. Now, for the first time, psychology researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are unraveling the workings of a novel brain network that may explain how these […]
The Evolution Of Love
How did we evolve the most loving brain on the planet? Humans are the most sociable species on earth – for better and for worse. On the one hand, we have the greatest capacities for empathy, communication, friendship, romance, complex social structures, and altruism. On the other, we have the greatest capacities for shaming, emotional […]
Impulsive, Weak Willed, Or Just Too Much Dopamine?
It is a common scenario: you are on a diet, determined to give up eating cakes, but as you pass the cake counter, all resolve disappears. Now, scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL (University College London) have shed light on the brain processes that affect our will power and make us […]
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