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Tag: Serotonin

  • Three Days Without a Smartphone alters Dopamine and Serotonin Levels

    Three Days Without a Smartphone alters Dopamine and Serotonin Levels

    A new study from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, published in Computers in Human Behavior, suggests that cutting smartphone use for just three days triggers chemical changes in brain regions linked to reward and addiction.
    Image Credits:freepik

    A new study from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, published in Computers in Human Behavior, suggests that cutting smartphone use for just three days triggers chemical changes in brain regions linked to reward and addiction.

    The researchers note that excessive smartphone use resembles certain addictive disorders, with evidence pointing to various psychosocial and physical effects, yet the underlying brain mechanisms remain poorly understood.

    Limiting Cell Phone Use for 72 Hours

    Researchers investigated the effects of limiting cell phone use for 72 hours. They recruited 25 young adults aged 18 to 30 and instructed them to use their phones only for essential tasks, like communicating with family, during this period.

    To monitor brain changes, participants underwent MRI scans at the start and end of the study while viewing three types of images: neutral scenes (e.g., landscapes) and photos of phones both turned on and off. They also completed questionnaires about mood and phone usage habits.

    After three days of restricted phone use, brain regions linked to the reward system showed noticeable changes. Exposure to smartphone images activated areas associated with intense cravings, including the anterior cingulate gyrus and the nucleus accumbens—regions also involved in addictions such as smoking and drug use. “This may indicate a stronger desire to use a cell phone,” notes psychiatrist Gabriel Garcia Okuda from Einstein Hospital Israelita.

    Brain Chemistry and Mood Improvements from Phone Abstinence

    Dopamine and serotonin pathways—key neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation and addiction—were also activated. “This may suggest a connection, as these pathways responded to viewing phone images after the abstinence period,” explains Okuda. The findings further indicate that reducing phone use for three days could improve sleep quality and mood.

    The study, however, has several limitations, including a small sample size, no control group for comparison, and no verification that participants fully adhered to the phone restriction.

    Additionally, assessments of phone use and mood relied on participants’ self-reports, and information on other health conditions or substance use was not collected. “Thus, the study doesn’t provide definitive conclusions,” notes Okuda, “but it offers a starting point for further exploration.”

    Read the original article on: Cnnbrasil

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  • Consuming Good Food Triggers the Brain to Release Feel-Good Serotonin

    Consuming Good Food Triggers the Brain to Release Feel-Good Serotonin

    Researchers have uncovered an intriguing connection between the gut and brain: consuming nutritious food triggers the release of the feel-good chemical serotonin. This discovery paves the way for potential new treatments for eating disorders.
    Consuming food with nutrient value triggers the release of a feel-good chemical by the brain
    Depositphotos

    Researchers have uncovered an intriguing connection between the gut and brain: consuming nutritious food triggers the release of the feel-good chemical serotonin. This discovery paves the way for potential new treatments for eating disorders.

    Recent studies have highlighted the significant link between the gut and brain. Eating is especially noteworthy as it involves the nervous system responding to environmental cues (such as food aromas) as well as physiological and metabolic signals.

    Researchers from the University of Bonn in Germany and the University of Cambridge in the UK recently conducted a study to explore the connection between the esophagus and the brain during eating, specifically focusing on the interactions that occur when food is swallowed.

    “Our goal was to gain a detailed understanding of how the digestive system communicates with the brain when food is ingested,” explained Michael Pankratz, the study’s lead author from the Life and Medical Sciences Institute (LIMES) at the University of Bonn. “To achieve this, we needed to identify the neurons involved in this information flow and understand how they are activated.”

    Researchers Opt for Fruit Fly Larvae to Study Neuronal Connections, Using Electron Microscopy for Detailed Reconstruction

    Instead of analyzing the approximately 100 billion neurons in the human brain, the researchers chose to study fruit fly larvae, which have about 10,000 to 15,000 neurons. They sliced the larvae into thousands of thin sections and used an electron microscope to scan them. These scans were then used to reconstruct all neurons and target organs of a nerve connecting the larvae’s gastrointestinal system to the brain.

    “We utilized a high-performance computer to create three-dimensional images from these scans,” Pankratz explained, allowing the team to map the connections between nerve cells, synapse by synapse.

    The researchers identified a type of ‘stretch receptor’ in the larvae’s esophagus linked to a cluster of six serotonin-producing neurons in the brain. Serotonin, known for its role in mood regulation and creating feelings of euphoria, revealed intriguing responses from these neurons to consumed food.

    “They can identify whether something is food and assess its quality,” explained Andreas Schoofs, the lead author of the study at the LIMES Institute. “Serotonin is only produced in response to high-quality food, which encourages the larva to continue eating.”

    Neurons Act as Quality Control for Nutritious Food, Triggering Serotonin Release and Continued Eating

    By “good quality food,” the researchers mean food with nutritional value rather than gourmet quality. This suggests that the neurons act as a form of quality control for ingested food.

    Nutritious food is perceived by the brain as a reward, leading to serotonin release, which makes the larvae feel good and prompts them to keep eating. Given its crucial role in survival, the researchers believe this mechanism might also be present in humans.

    “Despite differences in cell types between flies and mammals, it would be intriguing to investigate whether serotonin also plays a role in monitoring essential actions like swallowing in mammals,” the researchers noted.

    If this esophagus-brain connection exists in humans, it could offer a new approach for treating eating disorders such as anorexia or binge eating. However, there is still much research needed.

    “We don’t yet fully understand how this control circuit functions in humans,” said Pankratz. “Years of research are still required to explore this area.”

    Read the original article on: New Atlas

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  • Serotonin Affects How People Learn From and React to Negativity

    Serotonin Affects How People Learn From and React to Negativity

    According to a new study in Nature Communications, increasing serotonin can alter how people learn from negative information and enhance their response to it.
    Selective serotonin releasing agent is not negated by 5-HT1A supersensitivity, resulting in a rapid onset of pro-serotonergic activity. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50394-x

    According to a new study in Nature Communications, increasing serotonin can alter how people learn from negative information and enhance their response to it.

    Researchers from the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry and the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Center (OH BRC) discovered that increasing serotonin levels reduced sensitivity to negative outcomes, such as losing money in a game, without significantly affecting sensitivity to positive outcomes like winning money.

    Serotonin-Boosting Drug Tested on 26 Participants Against a Control Group of 27

    The study involved 26 participants who received a serotonin-boosting drug, while 27 others formed a control group. Both groups performed tasks designed to measure learning and behavioral control, with state-of-the-art models analyzing their behavior.

    The results showed that higher serotonin levels enhanced participants’ ability to control their behavior, especially in response to negative information, and also improved different types of memory. Michael Colwell, the study’s lead author, stated, “These findings shed new light on how serotonin shapes human behavior, particularly in negative environments. We believe it may offer important insights into the cause and treatment of depression.”

    Rather than using traditional antidepressants like SSRIs, the researchers employed a novel selective serotonin-releasing agent, currently used to treat Dravet Syndrome, to directly increase serotonin levels in the brain.

    Clarifying Serotonin’s Role in Human Behavior After Decades of Uncertainty

    Professor Catherine Harmer, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Oxford and OH BRC Theme Lead for Depression Therapeutics, noted that despite nearly a century of research, our understanding of how serotonin affects human behavior has remained unclear and often debated.

    “This study offers exciting new insights into serotonin’s role in humans. It reveals that serotonin, which has been linked to depression and the effects of antidepressants, plays a greater role in processing negative experiences rather than simply enhancing positive responses. Serotonin is often called the ‘happy chemical,’ but perhaps it’s more accurate to think of it as the ‘not-so-bad chemical,’” she said.

    Professor Susannah Murphy, Associate Professor at the University of Oxford, added, “By directly manipulating serotonin levels in the brain, this study sheds light on some of the core functions this crucial brain chemical plays in humans. Our findings highlight the essential role serotonin plays in complex cognitive processes, such as our ability to control unwanted behaviors. This research deepens our understanding of why drugs that alter serotonin levels are effective treatments for various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.”

    Read the original article on: Science Alert

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