neurotransmitters

Psychedelics are evolutionarily ancient compounds produced by fungi, plants, and microbes. Humans also synthesize psychedelics. Researchers want to know how and why.

Steven Barker is on a forty-seven-year-long journey to understand the mind-blowing science of psychedelics.

A neural pathway between the gut and the brain led to the release of dopamine when the mice ran on a wheel or treadmill, but only in the presence of a robust microbiome. 

The Duke University cell biologist uses live-cell microscopy to reveal how brain cells rid themselves of damaged mitochondria and what goes wrong in neurodegenerative disease.

The discovery could one day lead to the development of better antinausea medications.

Performing complex cognitive tasks leads to glutamate accumulating in a key region of the brain, a study finds, which could explain why mental labor is so exhausting.

When unexpected events occur, norepinephrine signals mouse brains to pay attention to key details.

Like in humans, the neurotransmitter appears to play a role in generating wanting-like behavior and, perhaps, happy memories in honeybees.

Scientists show that an influx of noradrenaline can halt immune cells in mice.

Neural connections in the mouse neocortex can release multiple packages of neurotransmitters per electrical impulse, a study finds.

Synapses in the mouse neocortex can release multiple packages of neurotransmitters, suggesting that connection strength is more flexible than previously thought.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers monitored subsecond changes in levels of the neurotransmitters in the human brain, unlocking new insight into their function.

Clues about the biological mechanisms that contribute to a person’s chance of contemplating or attempting suicide

The biochemical mechanisms in the brain underlying suicidal behavior are beginning to come to light, and researchers hope they could one day lead to better treatment and prevention strategies.

Inhibiting nerve cells that produce the neurotransmitter made it harder for baby mice to recover from bouts of slowed breathing.

Male rodents exposed to nicotine had changes in sperm genome methylation and produced pups and grandpups with abnormal behavior.

Researchers have identified what makes synapses strong or weak in fruit flies.

Host slugs given Prozac to increase their serotonin levels no longer avoid parasitic nematodes, the same behavior seen in infected slugs.