Studies underscore genetic involvement in nicotine addiction & aggressive hostility
... a receptor that recognizes acetylcholine, a major neurotransmitter that plays a role in the brain's pleasure system a...asis that may involve abnormally low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Once again, gene polymorphisms appear to influence individual variance. Specific compone...Johns Hopkins scientists receive presidential medals
... extended the technique to identify numerous other neurotransmitter receptors in the brain. In characterizing each new group of receptors, he also clarified the actions of major neuroactive drugs. Snyder's techniques and discoveries have helped lead to rational design of new drugs to treat psychiatric and other di...Sex hormone metabolite reduces stress, anxiety in female rats
...enhances the activity of GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, at its receptors throughout the brain. This mechanism, Toufexis said, likely accounts for progesterone's blunting effect on the brain's stress system. Findings from the study correlate with clinical evidence that some p...Older people get the big picture faster, and they are less inhibited
...opher Taylor, suggests that one type of inhibitory neurotransmitter may not have as much effect in old brains as in young brains. However, the researchers caution that although such a change makes older people perform better on this task, the same change likely leads to increased difficulties in a much wider range of...New theory chalenges current view of how brain stores long-term memory
...re regulated by synaptic excitation (e.g., via the neurotransmitter glutamate) or inhibition (e.g., via the neurotransmitter GABA). Thus, the self-sustaining positive feedback system also carries built-in control mechanisms...First new treatment for alcoholism in ten years, now available Campral(R) (acamprosate calcium)
...ation and inhibition. (1) Campral interacts with neurotransmitter systems and is hypothesized to restore the normal balance. (1) This mechanism of action is different from that ascribed to currently available medications, which either block the "high" associated with alcohol (2) or induce vomiting if alcohol is ...Two-fisted assault on dopamine transport system may be foundation of Parkinson's disease
...e whammy on the neurons that produce dopamine, the neurotransmitter that controls body movement, a new study has shown. Researchers at the University at Buffalo, using cultures of rat neurons, have shown that the presence of mutated parkin genes, combined with the toxic effects of the chemical rotenone, results i...Antibiotic rifampicin shows promise for fighting Parkinson's disease in lab tests
...death of nerve cells in the brain that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Deposits called Lewy bodies, composed mostly of alpha-synuclein fibrils, appear in affected nerve cells, but the connection between the fibrils and cell death remains controversial, Fink said. "There are two schools of thought: One is th...Humble Planaria worm offers ideal model for drug withdrawal research
...awal. Furthermore, Planaria have the same types of neurotransmitter systems as humans and thus respond to dopamine, opioids, cocaine and cannabinoids. "Planaria offer a clean and uncomplicated model. We don't have to worry about potential interference from other organs or organ systems, as would be the case in o...Brain's nicotine receptors also target for anti-depressants
...neurotransmitters. Recent evidence indicates other neurotransmitter systems might play a role in the mechanism of action of antidepressants, Picciotto said. In this study in mice, she and her colleagues tested the action of antidepressants with and without mecamylamine, a noncompetitive antagonist (blocker) in nicoti...Reduced risk of institutionalisation in patients with dementia
...ase treatments, galantamine enhances levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (a chemical 'messenger' responsible for sending signals between nerve cells in the brain), which is typically deficient in Alzheimer's disease. However, unlike other treatments, galantamine also has a unique modulating effect on the br...Tuberculosis drug combined with virtual reality therapy is effective in treating fear of heights
...abnormally in an acrophobic's brain. DCS binds to neurotransmitter receptors in the amygdala called NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors. When combined with virtual reality exposure therapy, DCS facilitates fear extinction in the acrophobic's brain. "Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy uses a process called 'fear e...Jefferson neuroscientists studying new type of Alzheimer's drug to halt disease progression
.... They block enzymes that degrade acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter important for memory in the central nervous system. They treat the symptoms, not the underlying disease. Four drugs Aricept, Exelon, Reminyl and Tacrine are approved to treat the symptoms of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's. A fifth drug, Namenda, whic...Smoking affects same 'feel good' brain chemical system as heroin
...t continued exposure to nicotine had increased the neurotransmitter levels, that are being released under baseline conditions, for example after overnight abstinence from smoking," says Scott. "We are specifically examining this possibility in ongoing studies." During the smoking of the de-nicotinized cigarettes, the...Exercising limbs protects brain cells affected by Parkinson's, study in rodents shows
...son's, cells in the brain that contain dopamine, a neurotransmitter essential for purposeful and facile muscle control, progressively die until only a small percentage remains. Dopamine carries signals from the nerve cells, or neurons, located deep inside the brain in an area called the substantia nigra along nerve f...Gender and sex hormones affect the brain's pain response and more, according to new studies
... neurochemical pathway in the brain--the mu-opioid neurotransmitter system--which uses endogenous chemicals called opi...nd stress more tolerable." To study the mu-opioid neurotransmitter system, Zubieta and his colleagues use positron-emission tomography (PET) brain imaging, which allow...Promise of stem cells amplified
...rs that specifically kill off neurons that use the neurotransmitter dopamine. "Replacement of dopamine neurons using embryonic stem cells has long been the holy grail," says Clive N. Svendsen, PhD. "But stem cell transplantation can introduce serious problems, including tumors and dyskinesia, or impaired, sporadic mu...Researchers monitor progression of Parkinson's disease by studying molecular changes in brain
... dopamine transporter binding, part of the brain's neurotransmitter circulation system.) The study demonstrates that it is possible to measure, quantitatively and over a significant period of time, the molecular changes that take place in the brain as it undergoes progressive deterioration. "In effe...Northwestern receives $2.1 million grant for Parkinson's disease research
...toring dopamine levels by enhancing release of the neurotransmitter from surviving dopaminergic neurons. Although initially effective in many patients with Parkinson's disease, the benefits of levodopa therapy are relatively short-lived and are accompanied by unwanted motor side effects. Deep brain stimulation of t...Topiramate: a potential new medication for treating alcoholism
...cohol-drinking behavior is complex, involving many neurotransmitter systems," added Raye Z. Litten, co-leader of the M... reducing drinking." Brain pathways containing the neurotransmitter dopamine, also referred to as the "feel-good" brain chemical, are believed to mediate alcohol's rewa...