The hormone dopamine may play a part in your ability to make new memories. Getty ImagesDopamine is often known as the "feel-good hormone," but it's much more than that
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News / Online - 07th November, 2019) The hormone dopamine may play a part in your ability to make new memories. Getty ImagesDopamine is often known as the "feel-good hormone," but it's much more than that.This neurotransmitter earned its nickname because when we anticipate a reward like winning a game or falling in love dopamine levels increase, giving us a feeling of euphoria and bliss.But research has also found that dopamine is essential for the formation of episodic memories, such as what you had for dinner last night or where you parked your car at the mall.
This provides insights into potential new treatments for memory disorders.One treatment option would be to use medications that increase dopamine in the brain, either directly or indirectly. Another is deep brain stimulationTrusted Source of the neurons that produce dopamine.Unexpected rewards boost memoryIn a recent study, a team led by researchers from Brown University found that in certain situations, unexpected rewards boost the formation of episodic memories.
The study was published earlier this month in Nature Human BehaviorTrusted Source.In psychological research, this kind of better-than-expected outcome is known as a reward-prediction error. These involve the release of dopamine in certain parts of the brain.In the study, researchers tested the link between reward-prediction errors, learning, and memory by asking people to play an online game.During the first or learning phase of the game, people bet on whether they would win the reward shown at the start of the round. The chance of winning was tied to an image that appeared after the potential reward.
