The neurotransmitter dopamine (DA) has several important functions. For instance, it known to play a role in how we feel pleasure, as well as in our ability to concentrate on everyday task, maintain focus, and learn specific behaviors.
Psychology & Psychiatry
A fascination with violence: appetitive aggression in males and females
Exposure to violence during childhood or at later stages of life can result in severe trauma, mental health issues, and in some instances, appetitive aggression, an acquired fascination by or pleasure in violence. Under the leadership of Prof Dr Thomas Elbert, Dr...
Exploring the impact of trust and world view on Indigenous patients’ engagement in shared decision making
Research studies have reported significant differences in cancer diagnoses and survival rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada. The factors and perceptions underpinning these disparities, however, are still poorly understood. Dr Gary Groot and...
Improving children’s attention with focus training and meditation
The widespread use of increasingly sophisticated electronic devices and the vast amount of information accessible through these devices has been linked to a decline in people’s ability to pay attention to a single task or stimulus for prolonged periods of time. This...
Study explores how the perception of internal bodily signals influences the concept of self
In contrast with other animal species on Earth, over the course of their life, humans can develop a fairly clear idea of who they are as individuals and what sets them apart from others. This abstract concept of self is known to be fragmented and fuzzy in individuals...
Study finds that mPOA neurons mediate stress-induced anxiety and parental behavior in mice
Anxiety is a common emotional state that can be particularly pronounced or difficult to process for individuals diagnosed with anxiety disorders and depression. While neuroscientists have carried out numerous studies aimed at better understanding the neural processes...
Children prioritize what they hear over what they see when gauging emotional aspects of their experience
The Colavita visual dominance effect is a psychological observation named after Francis B. Colavita, the psychologist who first gathered evidence of its existence in 1974. Colavita observed that when human adults are presented with visual stimuli and other sensory...
Exploring the role of competitive brain processes in artistic cognition
For many years, neuroscientists worldwide have been trying to understand the neural and cognitive processes underpinning artistic expression. While past findings have identified a number of brain areas that could be associated with the creation of different forms of...
Study explores the effects of morning weather on people’s mood and wellbeing at work
The weather can greatly affect daily experiences, for instance, increasing or decreasing the yearning to spend time outdoors or making commutes to the workplace more or less enjoyable. While several past studies have investigated the effects that the weather can have...
Immune responses during embryo development could increase risk of schizophrenia
Past research has often highlighted the effects that immune activation in pregnant women can have on the development of human embryos, for instance increasing the risk of a child developing psychiatric disorders later in life. The neural mechanisms underpinning these...