Tag: Neuropharmacology and Drugs

Revisiting reinforcement learning

MIT Institute Professor Ann Graybiel. Photo: Justin Knight Dopamine is a powerful signal in the brain, influencing our moods, motivations, movements, and more. The neurotransmitter is crucial for reward-based learning, a function that may be disrupted in a number of psychiatric conditions, from mood disorders to addiction. Now, researchers led by Ann Graybiel, an investigator… Continue reading Revisiting reinforcement learning

Psychedelics may offer anxiety relief through specific brain circuits

New research suggests that it could be possible to separate treatment from hallucinations when developing new drugs based on psychedelics. The anti-anxiety andhallucination-inducing qualities of psychedelic drugs work through different neural circuits, according to research using a mouse model. The work is published Nov. 15 in Science.  The research shows that decoupling the beneficial effects of… Continue reading Psychedelics may offer anxiety relief through specific brain circuits

Neural Representations of Concreteness and Concrete Concepts Are Specific to the Individual

Different people listening to the same story may converge upon a largely shared interpretation while still developing idiosyncratic experiences atop that shared foundation. What linguistic properties support this individualized experience of natural language? Here, we investigate how the “concrete–abstract” axis—the extent to which a word is grounded in sensory experience—relates to within- and across-subject variability… Continue reading Neural Representations of Concreteness and Concrete Concepts Are Specific to the Individual

Seven with MIT ties elected to National Academy of Medicine for 2024

The National Academy of Medicine recently announced the election of more than 90 members during its annual meeting, including MIT faculty members Matthew Vander Heiden and Fan Wang, along with five MIT alumni. Election to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine… Continue reading Seven with MIT ties elected to National Academy of Medicine for 2024

Seven with MIT ties elected to National Academy of Medicine for 2024

The National Academy of Medicine recently announced the election of more than 90 members during its annual meeting, including MIT faculty members Matthew Vander Heiden and Fan Wang, along with five MIT alumni. Election to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine… Continue reading Seven with MIT ties elected to National Academy of Medicine for 2024