#Dopamine

In a finding that could transform how we understand memory, researchers from Flinders University have shown that forgetting is not simply a failure of the brain but a finely tuned process controlled by a familiar chemical: dopamine. The study, conducted in the tiny nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, suggests that forgetting is an active, purposeful function that helps the brain stay efficient in a world full of competing stimuli. While the work is done in worms, the team emphasizes that the same chemical pathways are conserved across species, including humans, and may illuminate why memory changes with age or in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

A new study reshapes how we understand learning by showing that dopamine, a key brain chemical, influences both quick problem solving and slow habit formation. The findings offer practical implications for Thai classrooms and clinical care in attention disorders.

A large, carefully designed study with 100 healthy young adults explored dopamine’s two distinct roles in learning. Researchers combined brain imaging, behavioral tasks, and controlled medication trials to map how dopamine shapes two cognitive systems: working memory and reinforcement learning. This challenges the old view that dopamine is mainly about reward and movement and highlights its role in selecting cognitive strategies.

Revolutionary neuroscience research demonstrates that dopamine, a crucial brain chemical, influences both rapid problem-solving and gradual habit formation in ways that could transform how Thai educators and clinicians approach learning and attention disorders.

The Discovery That Changes Everything

A comprehensive study involving 100 healthy young adults has uncovered dopamine’s previously misunderstood dual function in human learning. The research team employed sophisticated brain imaging techniques, behavioral assessments, and controlled medication trials to map how this essential neurotransmitter shapes two distinct cognitive systems.

A major new study shows dopamine helps both quick thinking and slow habit learning.
The finding may change how clinicians and educators approach attention and learning.

The research tested two core brain systems for learning.
Those systems are working memory and reinforcement learning.

Working memory holds small amounts of information for short times.
Reinforcement learning builds habits through repeated feedback over time.

Dopamine is a key brain chemical for reward and movement.
Researchers measured how dopamine affects each learning system.

A major new study finds that the brain chemical dopamine helps the mind use two different learning systems at once: the fast, effortful working memory that solves new problems quickly, and the slow reinforcement-learning system that builds habits over time. The international team combined PET brain scans, a cognitive task designed to separate working memory from reinforcement learning, and drug challenges with methylphenidate and sulpiride in 100 healthy adults to show that natural dopamine production and drugs that change dopamine signaling differently shift how people learn and value effort (Nature Communications study). The findings help explain why some people prefer mentally demanding strategies and why stimulants can selectively speed habit-like trial-and-error learning (PsyPost coverage).

A new international study reshapes how we understand learning by showing dopamine fuels two distinct systems: fast, problem-solving via working memory and gradual, practice-based reinforcement learning. The findings hold important implications for Thai classrooms, families managing ADHD, and policymakers shaping student support.

Researchers used advanced imaging and controlled stimulant challenges to study 100 healthy adults. They examined how natural dopamine production and methylphenidate affect different learning strategies. The results offer actionable guidance for Thailand’s education sector and health professionals.

Recent international research shows dopamine, the brain’s key chemical messenger, shapes learning through two pathways. One rapidly boosts effortful working-memory strategies, while the other enhances slower, trial-and-error reinforcement learning when dopamine is elevated. The study combined brain imaging with ADHD medications and sophisticated models to reveal that an individual’s dopamine production predicts learning preferences. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) boosts incremental learning, while certain antipsychotics can reduce reliance on working memory.

Implications for Thai Education and Health Systems

Groundbreaking international research reveals that dopamine, the brain’s key neurotransmitter, orchestrates learning through two sophisticated pathways: rapidly enhancing effortful working-memory strategies while simultaneously boosting slower, trial-and-error reinforcement learning when pharmacologically increased. This comprehensive study, combining advanced brain imaging with medications commonly prescribed for ADHD treatment and sophisticated computational models, demonstrates that individual dopamine production levels predict learning strategy preferences, while methylphenidate (Ritalin) amplifies incremental learning processes and antipsychotic medications reduce working-memory dependence, according to Nature Communications research findings and specialized psychological research publications.

A major international study shows the brain chemical dopamine plays a dual, sophisticated role in learning: it encourages fast, effortful working-memory strategies in some people while also boosting slower, trial-and-error reinforcement learning when dopamine is pharmacologically increased. The experiment combined brain imaging, drugs commonly used in ADHD treatment, and computational models to show that a person’s natural dopamine production predicts whether they lean on mental “scratchpad” strategies, while methylphenidate (Ritalin) amplifies incremental learning and an antipsychotic (sulpiride) reduces working-memory reliance (Nature Communications study) and was summarized in coverage of the findings (PsyPost summary).

A new wave of vole research is reframing oxytocin’s role in social life: the hormone is less a universal “cuddle chemical” and more a fine-tuner of selectivity that helps animals invest in specific relationships while turning away outsiders. In female prairie voles lacking oxytocin receptors, friendships form late, wobble easily, and fail to trump contact with strangers, according to new findings reported by University of California, Berkeley neuroscientists and collaborators and summarized by The Transmitter as a study just out in Current Biology. The work suggests oxytocin receptors are not essential for general sociability or even romantic pair bonds—but are crucial for maintaining loyal, selective friendships that endure distractions in a crowd. Those insights, scientists say, could sharpen how we think about human friendship, loneliness, and the design of social environments in Thailand and beyond.

A wave of neuroscience is reshaping our understanding of oxytocin, the so-called love hormone. New findings suggest its role is less about universal sociability and more about strengthening selective friendships while filtering out outsiders. Researchers at a leading university studied prairie voles with genetically altered oxytocin receptors. Females lacking these receptors formed relationships more slowly, struggled to stay loyal, and sometimes failed to distinguish friends from strangers. The takeaway: oxytocin supports selective social loyalty rather than broad sociability, with potential relevance for addressing loneliness and community design in Thailand’s dynamic society.

Revolutionary neuroscience research challenges decades of conventional wisdom about oxytocin, revealing that this celebrated “love hormone” functions less as a universal bonding agent and more as a sophisticated social filter that helps individuals maintain selective relationships while excluding outsiders. University of California Berkeley scientists studying genetically modified prairie voles discovered that females lacking oxytocin receptors form friendships later in life, struggle to maintain loyal bonds, and cannot distinguish between familiar companions and strangers in social settings. These groundbreaking findings suggest oxytocin’s primary role involves supporting selective social loyalty rather than general sociability, insights that could transform approaches to human loneliness, friendship maintenance, and community social design throughout Thailand’s rapidly changing social landscape.

A groundbreaking new study is challenging the conventional wisdom about dopamine, a crucial brain chemical long believed to broadcast broad, sweeping signals throughout the brain. Using advanced microscopy techniques, researchers have revealed that dopamine may actually operate with remarkable surgical precision, finely targeting specific brain cells rather than acting as an indiscriminate messenger. This discovery offers significant new insights into how the brain controls movement, motivation, and learning—areas that are especially relevant to Thai readers interested in neurological health and the future of treatments for conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, addiction, and depression.

A new study upends the idea that dopamine acts as a broad brain messenger. Using advanced microscopy, researchers show dopamine can target specific neurons, signaling with surgical precision rather than spreading across large brain regions. The finding deepens understanding of movement, motivation, and learning and points to future therapies for Parkinson’s disease, addiction, and depression—issues of growing interest to Thai audiences concerned with neurological health.

Historically, dopamine has been described as the brain’s reward signal. Thai education and media have often echoed this simplified view, portraying the chemical as a widespread driver of happiness and, at times, unhealthy cravings. The latest research, reported by MedicalXpress, suggests dopamine’s reach is more refined. It appears to be released directly onto particular cells that need the message, rather than diffusing indiscriminately through tissue.

A wave of new research has reignited scientific and public debate on “dopamine deficits”—a phenomenon whereby modern lifestyles, shaped by omnipresent digital media and high-reward environments, dampen our capacity for pleasure and motivation. Experts now warn that this subtle neurological imbalance is widespread, with significant consequences for mental health, productivity, and daily happiness—even in thriving societies such as Thailand.

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter made in the brain, is central to how humans pursue pleasure and rewards. While it’s essential for motivation and goal-seeking, new studies suggest that an abundance of high-stimulation activities—ranging from social media scrolling to ultra-processed foods—hijacks this system, leading to a flatlining of mood and satisfaction. The result is a chronic state where familiar joys fade and ordinary accomplishments lose their spark, pushing individuals toward ever-greater stimulation just to feel “normal” CNN Health.

A growing body of research is sparking a vital discussion about dopamine deficits—where constant digital stimulation and high-reward environments may dull our capacity for pleasure and motivation. Experts warn this subtle shift is widespread and can influence mental health, productivity, and overall happiness, even in Thailand’s thriving communities.

Dopamine, a neurotransmitter tied to motivation and reward, is increasingly shaped by modern stimuli—from social media to ultra-processed foods. The result can be a flattened mood and a sense that ordinary joys no longer satisfy. This can drive people to seek ever stronger experiences to feel “normal.” Research from leading Western universities highlights the need for mindful lifestyle adjustments.

Can a single tweak in your daily routine turn a bad habit into a good one? Recent neuroscience research says yes, revealing that rewriting the routines governing our behavior is both more attainable and more scientific than many believe. As Thais increasingly wrestle with everyday challenges—whether it’s adopting healthier lifestyles or striving for better mental wellbeing—these insights offer new hope for sustainable change.

The significance of habit change lies at the heart of modern life in Thailand, where non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension are on the rise, often driven by persistent unhealthy behaviors. For students, office workers, and retirees alike, daily routines, from diet and exercise to smartphone use, have become an invisible force shaping health, happiness, and productivity. Understanding how to effectively break unwanted habits and encode new, desirable ones is both a personal and national priority.

A single tweak to daily routines can transform a bad habit into a healthier one, new neuroscience findings suggest. For Thais juggling healthier living and mental wellbeing, this research offers practical, doable steps to lasting change.

Habit change matters in Thailand as non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension rise. For students, workers, and retirees, daily routines—from diet and exercise to screen time—shape health, happiness, and productivity. Understanding how to replace unwanted habits with constructive ones becomes both personal and national priorities.

Scientists have uncovered that the brain’s dopamine system doesn’t simply predict if a reward is coming, but also precisely when to expect it—offering fresh insights into motivation, addiction, and even artificial intelligence. This new study, led by researchers at the University of Geneva and published on June 9, 2025, fundamentally changes our understanding of how the brain’s reward circuitry times and values pleasurable experiences, opening new avenues for practical applications in health and education (ScienceDaily).

A new study reveals that the brain’s dopamine system does more than signal rewards. It also predicts the exact timing of when pleasure will occur. This insight could transform approaches to motivation, addiction treatment, and even artificial intelligence. Led by researchers from the University of Geneva and published in mid-2025, the work shows the brain’s reward circuitry times pleasurable experiences with remarkable precision, offering practical implications for health and learning in Thailand.

Individuals recovering from long-term addiction to substances like cocaine or heroin are finding themselves moving to a different musical beat—quite literally. New research led by Aarhus University in Denmark reveals that the pleasure and urge to move to music, a phenomenon scientists call “groove,” undergoes a distinct shift among those with a history of substance use disorder, demanding more complex rhythms and harmonies to spur engagement. These findings offer significant insights not just for understanding addiction’s effect on the brain, but also for reshaping therapies and interventions, including in Thailand’s own music-based rehabilitation programmes.

New research from Aarhus University in Denmark shows that people recovering from long-term substance use experience a shifted musical “groove.” In recovery, the urge to move to music grows strongest with more intricate rhythms and harmonies. The findings offer important clues for treating addiction and suggest new directions for music-based rehabilitation in Thailand.

For Thai readers, music is woven into daily life, festivals, and wellness routines. This study links brain health directly to how we physically engage with song, explaining why some individuals in recovery may not react the same way to familiar tunes. It raises both treatment challenges and opportunities for more effective therapies.

A groundbreaking study from Aarhus University has revealed that long-term addiction to substances like cocaine and heroin fundamentally shifts how people experience pleasure from music, offering new insights that may transform addiction treatment and rehabilitation practices worldwide, including in Thailand. The research found that individuals with substance use disorders require far more complex rhythms and harmonies in music to experience the same pleasurable urge to move—referred to as “groove”—that most people feel with much simpler beats. This discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and recently highlighted in a summary at MedicalXpress, uncovers how deeply drug dependency changes the brain’s reward system beyond drug-related cues.

A groundbreaking study from Aarhus University reveals that long-term addiction to substances such as cocaine and heroin reshapes how pleasure from music is experienced. For Thai readers, this offers fresh insight into how recovery therapy can harness musical engagement more effectively. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that individuals with substance use disorders need more intricate rhythms and harmonies to feel the urge to move, or groove, than people without such histories. The findings also deepen our understanding of how addiction alters the brain’s reward system beyond drug cues.