Ventral tegmental area

receptor (CB1R), which is expressed ubiquitously throughout the brain. Within the brain reward circuit, activation of CB1Rs regulates the strength and plasticity of glutamate and GABA synapses. Specifically, dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a critical role in reward

Introduction Over the last hundred years much was learned about the localisation of function in the human brain than ever before. Gall and his followers through the trials of phrenology started investigating the functions of the brain but soon that was replaced by the by solid neuroscientific evidence from experiments in other animals (Kringebach & Rolls, 2004). However, even with the the evolution of human neuroimaging over the last 15–20 years, still some researchers use this technique in a

the limbic system. In the limbic system, there are a high concentration of dopamine responsive cells. The cells control emotions and links emotion and memory. The high derived from cocaine is a result of an overstimulation of the nucleus accumbens area which is found in basal forebrain. One function of the nucleus accumbens are to keep humans focused on tasks that help people achieve their purpose

Several hypothalamic areas have been shown to modulate erections in rats, including medial preoptic (MPOA) regions (MacLean, 1996), while Barker and Barasi (2005)’s findings suggest the ventromedial area is the main control centre for the sympathetic nervous system and the lateral hypothalamic area being the main centre for parasympathetic activation. Steer (2000) reviews lesion, electrostimulation, and tracing

Extroversion, Introversion, and the Brain The terms "extrovert" and "introvert" are often used to describe individuals' interpersonal relations, but what do these terms mean precisely, and is there a neurobiological basis for these personality traits? The terms originated from psychologist Carl Jung's theory of personality. Jung saw the extrovert as directed toward the outside world and the introvert as directed toward the self (1). He characterized extroverts as being energized by being

BIOL 376 Samuel McCaffrey 43671462 (Word Count=1650) Liraglutide is a new drug for weight management presently in clinical trial. Explain the proposed mechanism of the drug and briefly report the outcome of the clinical trials. Introduction Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1), which is synonymous with the naturally occurring human peptide GLP-1 produced in the colon and solitary tract of the brain (Baggio and Drucker, 2007). The drug was developed recently for weight

In this study, one of the most common prescribed SSRIs, FLX will be utilized. SSRIs block the reuptake of 5-HT thereby increasing the extracellular concentration of 5-HT in the synaptic cleft available thereby altering normal synaptic and neural function. Due to the fact that monoamines and monoamine metabolism is essential and obligatory for normal neural development this proposal will focus on how FLX affect neural development using the following approaches. Clutches of embryos will be staged

The transcription factor Otx2 is prevalently detected in TH+ neurons located ventral–medial VTA neurons, and this distribution is gradually decreased in the central and dorsal–lateral VTA. It has also been shown that Otx2 is sporadically co-expressed with Girk2, while most if not all of the Otx2+ neurons are Calb+, and those located in the ventral VTA are also Ahd2+ (Di Salvio et al., 2010; Liang et al., 1996; Schein et al., 1998; Simeone et al., 2011). Despite

Nicotine is most commonly known for being the key ingredient and major psychoactive component of tobacco smoke, however, the attention it has gotten recently can be attributed to the effects on cognition being observed amongst smokers and non-smokers alike. Much research has been done to identify what role, if any, nicotine has on learning, memory, and attention through an analysis of the behavioral, pharmacological, and anatomical specifications of the drug. Overwhelming evidence now exists pointing

either stimulate or inhibit the flow of an impulse between neurons. The GABA is an example of a neurotransmitter that is used as an inhibitor, where the 5 HT and dopamine can have either function of stimulating or inhibiting impulse, depending on what area of the brain it is at. All three neurotransmitters are involved in influencing some type of behavior through their inhibition or stimulation. The 5 HT for example, is known to have the most diverse functions in influencing all kinds of behavior. The