Dopamine
Recent articles
Bespoke photometry system captures variety of dopamine signals in mice
The tool tracks the excitation of an engineered protein that senses dopamine’s absolute levels, including fast and slow fluctuations in real time, and offers new insights into how the signals change across the brain.

Bespoke photometry system captures variety of dopamine signals in mice
The tool tracks the excitation of an engineered protein that senses dopamine’s absolute levels, including fast and slow fluctuations in real time, and offers new insights into how the signals change across the brain.
Dopamine ‘gas pedal’ and serotonin ‘brake’ team up to accelerate learning
Mice learn fastest and most reliably when they experience an increase in dopamine paired with an inhibition of serotonin in their nucleus accumbens, a new study shows, helping to resolve long-standing questions about the neuromodulators’ relationship.

Dopamine ‘gas pedal’ and serotonin ‘brake’ team up to accelerate learning
Mice learn fastest and most reliably when they experience an increase in dopamine paired with an inhibition of serotonin in their nucleus accumbens, a new study shows, helping to resolve long-standing questions about the neuromodulators’ relationship.
Newly characterized striatal circuits add twist to ‘go/no-go’ model of movement control
The two novel pathways control dopamine release in opposing ways and may link motivation and mood to action, a new study shows.

Newly characterized striatal circuits add twist to ‘go/no-go’ model of movement control
The two novel pathways control dopamine release in opposing ways and may link motivation and mood to action, a new study shows.
The Transmitter’s favorite podcasts of 2024
Our picks include a deep dive into dopamine, the role of PKMzeta in memory, and studying the stomatogastric ganglion.

The Transmitter’s favorite podcasts of 2024
Our picks include a deep dive into dopamine, the role of PKMzeta in memory, and studying the stomatogastric ganglion.
In case you missed it: Standout news stories from 2024
These five stories—on the pregnant brain, a failed imaging method and more—top our list of some of the most notable neuroscience research findings this year.

In case you missed it: Standout news stories from 2024
These five stories—on the pregnant brain, a failed imaging method and more—top our list of some of the most notable neuroscience research findings this year.
Vijay Namboodiri and Ali Mohebi on the evolving story of dopamine’s role in cognitive function
Researchers discuss the classic stories of dopamine’s role in learning, ongoing work linking it to a wide variety of cognitive functions, and recent research suggesting that dopamine may help us "look back" to discover the causes of events in the world.
Vijay Namboodiri and Ali Mohebi on the evolving story of dopamine’s role in cognitive function
Researchers discuss the classic stories of dopamine’s role in learning, ongoing work linking it to a wide variety of cognitive functions, and recent research suggesting that dopamine may help us "look back" to discover the causes of events in the world.
Reconstructing dopamine’s link to reward
The field is grappling with whether to modify the long-standing theory of reward prediction error—or abandon it entirely.

Reconstructing dopamine’s link to reward
The field is grappling with whether to modify the long-standing theory of reward prediction error—or abandon it entirely.
Dopamine and the need for alternative theories
Some experimental findings are inconsistent with the dominant model of reward prediction error, highlighting the need for alternative testable and falsifiable models for dopamine function.

Dopamine and the need for alternative theories
Some experimental findings are inconsistent with the dominant model of reward prediction error, highlighting the need for alternative testable and falsifiable models for dopamine function.
Does a new theory of dopamine replace the classic model?
My answer would be no, but the model poses challenges that will sharpen our understanding of dopamine and learning.

Does a new theory of dopamine replace the classic model?
My answer would be no, but the model poses challenges that will sharpen our understanding of dopamine and learning.
Ketamine targets lateral habenula, setting off cascade of antidepressant effects
The drug’s affinity for overactive cells in the “anti-reward” region may help explain its rapid and long-lasting results.

Ketamine targets lateral habenula, setting off cascade of antidepressant effects
The drug’s affinity for overactive cells in the “anti-reward” region may help explain its rapid and long-lasting results.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Sharing Africa’s brain data: Q&A with Amadi Ihunwo
These data are “virtually mandatory” to advance neuroscience, says Ihunwo, a co-investigator of the Brain Research International Data Governance & Exchange (BRIDGE) initiative, which seeks to develop a global framework for sharing, using and protecting neuroscience data.

Sharing Africa’s brain data: Q&A with Amadi Ihunwo
These data are “virtually mandatory” to advance neuroscience, says Ihunwo, a co-investigator of the Brain Research International Data Governance & Exchange (BRIDGE) initiative, which seeks to develop a global framework for sharing, using and protecting neuroscience data.
Cortical structures in infants linked to future language skills; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 19 May.

Cortical structures in infants linked to future language skills; and more
Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 19 May.
The BabyLM Challenge: In search of more efficient learning algorithms, researchers look to infants
A competition that trains language models on relatively small datasets of words, closer in size to what a child hears up to age 13, seeks solutions to some of the major challenges of today’s large language models.

The BabyLM Challenge: In search of more efficient learning algorithms, researchers look to infants
A competition that trains language models on relatively small datasets of words, closer in size to what a child hears up to age 13, seeks solutions to some of the major challenges of today’s large language models.