Why teens become addicted to smoking more easily than adults, and why adolescents are more prone to substance abuse has been carried out.
In an evaluation for Faculty of 1000 Biology, Neil Grunberg described the study, as "fascinating" and suggested it "may have implications to help understand why adolescents are particularly prone to drug abuse".
Expectation of Pleasure Enhanced by Dopamine
New research from the UCL Institute of Neurology says that enhancing the effects of the brain chemical dopamine influences how people make life choices by affecting expectations of pleasure.
New research from the UCL Institute of Neurology says that enhancing the effects of the brain chemical dopamine influences how people make life choices by affecting expectations of pleasure.
The authors found that the withdrawal signs (physical and neurochemical) seen in adolescent rats were fewer than those observed in adults.
The study provided previously unknown mechanisms as to why there are differences in nicotine withdrawal between adolescent and adult rats.
High Levels Of Reward Chemical Dopamine Favour Adventurous Choices
People with a less efficient version of COMT have more dopamine in this region, and this makes them good at storing multiple ideas in the short term.
People with a less efficient version of COMT have more dopamine in this region, and this makes them good at storing multiple ideas in the short term.
The reason that adolescents are prone to drug abuse (in this case, nicotine) is that they have increased sensitivity to its rewarding effects and do not display the same negative withdrawal effects as adults do, due to an underdeveloped dopamine-producing system.
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Study Says Dopamine Induces Both Desire and Dread
Experiments on animals have revealed that the chemical dopamine induces both desire and dread, say researchers.
Experiments on animals have revealed that the chemical dopamine induces both desire and dread, say researchers.
"These findings might also be relevant to other addictive and abuse drugs," he added.
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Decreased Food Intake Increases Dopamine Receptor Levels in Obese Rats
A brain-imaging study of genetically obese rats has obtained evidence that dopamine, a brain chemical associated with reward, pleasure, movement, and motivation, plays a role in obesity.
A brain-imaging study of genetically obese rats has obtained evidence that dopamine, a brain chemical associated with reward, pleasure, movement, and motivation, plays a role in obesity.
Source-ANI
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