All articles tagged with #reward system
The article explains why people often have room for dessert after a meal, highlighting physiological factors like stomach flexibility and brain reward pathways, as well as psychological and cultural influences that make sweet foods particularly tempting and enjoyable, even when physically full.
A study reveals that ADHD medications like Ritalin and Adderall primarily boost alertness and motivation by affecting brain reward and wakefulness systems, rather than directly improving attention, and may mimic sleep effects, raising concerns about sleep deprivation in diagnosis and treatment.
Some individuals experience no pleasure from music due to a rare condition called specific musical anhedonia, which results from a disconnect between the brain's auditory and reward networks, despite normal hearing and enjoyment of other rewards. This condition highlights the nuanced ways our brain processes different types of rewards and may inform research into other reward-related disorders.
A psychologist explains that Ozempic, a medication used for weight management and diabetes, may impact the brain's reward system, leading to decreased sex drive in some users. While its primary function is to suppress appetite and stabilize blood sugar, reports of reduced libido are emerging, possibly due to its effects on the brain's reward center. The manufacturer emphasizes the importance of medical supervision and monitoring for side effects.
Scientists have detailed how addictive drugs like cocaine can hijack the brain's reward system, causing individuals to prioritize drug use over basic needs like food and water. Research on mice has identified a specific neural pathway in the brain's nucleus accumbens that is activated by drugs of abuse, leading to a progressive alteration of the natural reward system and a reduced motivation for essential needs. The study also identified a gene, Rheb, that plays a significant role in allowing drugs to hijack the reward system, and disrupting this gene in lab mice prevented the drugs from overriding their need for food and water. While the findings are based on mice and further research is needed to confirm their applicability to humans, the research provides insights that could lead to better treatments for addiction by targeting specific neural pathways without affecting natural behavior.
Researchers have discovered how drugs like cocaine and morphine manipulate the brain's natural reward system, leading to compulsive drug-seeking behaviors. By tracking neurons in the nucleus accumbens, the study found that drugs disrupt the same brain cells responsible for processing natural rewards, offering potential targets for new addiction treatments. The research also identified the mTORC1 signaling pathway and the Rheb gene as potential therapeutic targets, shedding new light on the neural underpinnings of drug addiction.
Researchers have discovered that the brain's reward system plays a crucial role in integrating personal and others' preferences to make decisions that optimize mutual benefit. Using brain imaging techniques, the study found that the reward system is active in tracking personal preferences and integrating the preferences of others to maximize welfare for all involved parties. This research sheds light on the neural pathways involved in decision-making that considers conflicting interests for the mutual benefit of everyone.
A study conducted by Rutgers University has used neuroimaging to demonstrate how chronic cocaine addiction alters the brain's reward evaluation system, impacting adaptive behavior. The research focused on "reward prediction errors" and found that cocaine users exhibited riskier decision-making strategies and weaker neural error signals in response to unexpected rewards or their absence. These findings provide insight into the underlying mechanisms of cocaine addiction and may lead to more effective treatment options in the future.
Individuals with psychopathy and narcissistic personality disorder tend to follow a predictable cycle in their relationships, known as the idealize, devalue, and discard cycle. This cycle reflects the brain's reward system, which becomes highly activated during the initial phase of the relationship, leading to intense attraction and love bombing. However, as the relationship progresses, the reward system becomes less stimulated, causing the psychopath to lose interest and become bored. This leads to negative behaviors, such as gaslighting and blame-shifting, as they hold their partner responsible for the loss of excitement. These relationships can be dangerous and life-changing for the victims.
A study conducted in 2010 found that men are attracted to hourglass female body shapes, with a more pronounced waist-to-hip ratio activating the brain's natural reward system. Looking at pictures of rounded backsides mimics the effects of being high or drunk. The study also found that changes in a woman's body-mass index only really affected brain areas linked to simple visual evaluations of size and shape, suggesting that body fat influences judgments of female beauty due more to societal norms than brain wiring.