From dopamine hacking to dopamine detoxes, some people have sought to harness this brain chemical to improve their mood and productivity. But it’s far more complicated than that.
The microbiome and its signature smells are crucial for most organisms, whether human, insect or plant. The silent signals sent by the microbiome are essential communications that influence behaviour.
Unlike opioid drugs like morphine and fentanyl that travel throughout the body, the opioids your body produces are released in small quantities to specific locations.
So-called ‘limbic capitalism’ uses social media to target the brain’s reward centres. In the process it escalates health threats to the most vulnerable consumers.
Scientists still still don’t fully understand how general anaesthesia affects the brain and body. A molecule found in bioluminescent stony coral may shed some light.
Nancy Brassard, École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP)
When dealing with a difficult event, such as the current pandemic, the electrical current that governs our brains is altered, affecting behaviour and mood.
Many doctors believe that exercise is the closest thing to a miracle drug that modern medicine has in its arsenal. But have you ever wondered why that is so? Your brain actually benefits, too.
Tryptophan, found in food, is an important ingredient in the neurotransmitter serotonin. But is that enough to support it as a possible mood booster? The research is decidedly mixed.
A Sept. 14 report on drug use suggested that opioid use has declined. But troubling trends in drinking among teens and young adults stood out. An addiction specialist explains the unique dangers.
When you engage in recreational gambling, you’re not simply playing against the odds – you’re battling an enemy trained in the art of deceit and subterfuge who uses human nature against you.
During epileptic seizures, neurons in the brain fire without rhyme or reason. New research identifies a possible way to wrest back control by stopping these signals before they can get started.
As the nation grapples with its opioid addiction epidemic, an understanding of how the drugs affect people is important. The powerful class of drugs actually can change the brain.
Remember that story about the molecule found in turkey that makes you drowsy? Research shows it’s a myth – tryptophan doesn’t cause you to nod off, but it may be connected to cooperation.
Noise is common, but we don’t fully know what that means for our hearing. A recent study suggests how overstimulation of the auditory nerve may be too much for it to handle.
Scientists seek out drugs to cure what ails us but we now know that some common medications affect our moral capacity. Since it’s happening already, the question is, should we be worried?