Dopamine has long been a buzzword for those thinking about mood, happiness, and attention. But what if dopamine isn't the "feel-good" chemical we've been told it is? A new study suggests we may have ...

We have long been told a simple story about reward: Dopamine is the "wanting" molecule that drives us toward goals, and opioids are the "liking" molecules that provide the hit of pleasure once we get ...

(sbk_20d pictures/Moment RF/Getty Images) Scientists have discovered a distinct change in the brains of people with long COVID that might explain some of the illness's most debilitating symptoms. The ...

In our day-to-day lives, we're constantly making a slew of decisions, from immediate matters to prospects on the far horizon. But the evolutionary nuts-and-bolts of how our brains weigh these numerous ...

Individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and those with autism spectrum disorder both experience atypical ...

A recent study analyzed brain scans to explore how social networks function in autistic individuals compared to neurotypical peers. Researchers found that the brain's reward system in autistic people ...

People who are depressed very often show reduced interest in experiencing or obtaining pleasure, a symptom called anhedonia that research has traced to dysfunction in the brain’s reward system. In ...

This article predates Brown Brothers Media’s ownership of Science Blog and has not been reviewed under our current editorial process. It is preserved as part of the publication’s archive. The brain ...

A study published in Nature Medicine identified a link between the placebo effect and immune system function. In the experiment, individuals who generated positive expectations showed a stronger ...

On the day your salary is deposited, you might find your purse strings loosening more than usual. Making excuses to yourself ...