Addiction to alcohol is associated with the brain’s reward system, which reinforces behaviors that feel good — like drinking — by releasing neurotransmitters such as dopamine and endorphins. With prolonged alcohol consumption, a person’s brain can gradually adapt to the point that excessive amounts of drinking are required in order to produce the same pleasure [...]

Tags: alcohol abuse, drd2, drug abuse, morphine

“But we always go there!”
And so begins another Friday night.  When it comes to choosing where to go to dinner, my husband likes to stick with the tried and true. I like trying out new places.
A new study suggests that the roots of this conflict could spring partly from our genes. It suggests that a [...]

Tags: basal ganglia, COMT, DARPP-32, dopamine, drd2, exploration, learning, Nature Neuroscience, Parkinson's Disease, prefrontal cortex

SNPwatch gives you the latest news about research linking various traits and conditions to individual genetic variations. These studies are exciting because they offer a glimpse into how genetics may affect our bodies and health; but in most cases, more work is needed before this research can provide information of value to individuals. For that [...]

Tags: dopamine, drd2, genetic association, learning