Lina Begdache, Binghamton University, State University of New York
It’s been a stressful year, and for 61% of US adults, a year of unwanted weight change too. This isn’t surprising, as stress, eating and motivation are all linked through hormones in the brain.
New research demonstrates that it is more difficult to learn something new if the information had been rewarded in the past. In fact, the higher the reward, the worse the future learning.
Dopamine fasting has fast become a fad in the Silicon Valley, as a way to reset the brain’s feel-good chemical. Many religions have advocated fasting for some of the same reasons.
Ozzy Osbourne, famous for biting heads off bats, heavy metal music and a reality TV show, announced he has Parkinson’s disease. A Parkinson’s specialist explains the disease and recent advances.
We fall sway to fake news because it grabs our attention through outlandish claims, suggests false memories and contains appeals to our emotions that align with our politics.
Philip Mosley, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
About one in six people who take the most common medication for Parkinson’s disease will develop addictive behaviours. We found whether this happens depends on a person’s unique brain structure.
Parkinson’s disease is twice as common in men than in women. A sex gene called SRY, found only in men, could go some way to explaining this – and might pave the way for potential treatments.
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.
University course designers are harnessing the addictive quality of video games to develop ‘Serious educational games’ that engage and motivate students.