Scientific Research

58 peer-reviewed studies on dopamine and behavior (1998-2025)

Showing 58 of 58 studies

Dopamine Pharmacodynamics: New Insights

📚 International Journal of Molecular Sciences📅 2024PMC: PMC11121567DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105293
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Dopamine: the rewarding years

📅 2006PMC: PMC1760752
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The Role of Dopamine in Neurological, Psychiatric, and Metabolic Disorders and Cancer

📅 2025PMC: PMC11853172
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The neuromodulatory role of dopamine in improved reaction time by acute cardiovascular exercise

📚 Journal of Physiology, 602(3), 461-484📅 2024PMID: 38165254

Key Findings:

  • •[11C]-raclopride PET shows acute exercise releases endogenous dopamine
  • •Dopamine release correlated with improved reaction time
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Bidirectional Association between Physical Activity and Dopamine Across Adulthood—A Systematic Review

📅 2021PMC: PMC8301978

Key Findings:

  • •60% BDNF increase which catalyzes dopamine
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Voluntary Exercise Boosts Striatal Dopamine Release: Evidence for the Necessary and Sufficient Role of BDNF

📚 Journal of Neuroscience, 42(23), 4725📅 2022

🏛️ NYU Langone Health

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High intensity interval training exercise increases dopamine D2 levels and modulates brain dopamine signaling

📚 Frontiers in Public Health📅 2023PMC: PMC10773799
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Social Media Algorithms and Teen Addiction: Neurophysiological Impact and Ethical Considerations

📚 Cureus📅 2025PMC: PMC11804976DOI: 10.7759/cureus.77145

Key Findings:

  • •13% increase in depression per additional hour on social media
  • •Reduced grey matter in orbitofrontal cortex among heavy users
  • •AI-driven algorithms create dopamine cycles similar to substance addiction
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Neurobiological risk factors for problematic social media use as a specific form of Internet addiction

📅 2023PMC: PMC10251362
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Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity reflects smartphone social activity

📅 2021PMC: PMC8170001

🏛️ Radboud University (PET imaging study)

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Brain anatomy alterations associated with Social Networking Site (SNS) addiction

📅 2017PMC: PMC5362930
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Modern Day High: The Neurocognitive Impact of Social Media Usage

📅 2024PMC: PMC12329480
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Relationship between peripheral blood dopamine level and internet addiction disorder in adolescents

📅 2015PMC: PMC4538113
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Daily bingeing on sugar repeatedly releases dopamine in the accumbens shell

📚 Neuroscience📅 2005PMID: 15987666
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Excessive sugar intake alters binding to dopamine and mu-opioid receptors in the brain

📅 2001PMID: 11733709
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How does sugar influence our brain?

📅 2018

🏛️ Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research

Key Findings:

  • •Dopamine released immediately upon eating sugar
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Recent Studies of the Effects of Sugars on Brain Systems Involved in Energy Balance and Reward

📅 2016PMC: PMC5003688
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Evidence for striatal dopamine release during a video game

📚 Nature, 393, 266-268📅 1998PMID: 9607763

Key Findings:

  • •[11C]-raclopride PET scanning shows dopamine doubles baseline
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The neural basis of video gaming

📅 2012PMC: PMC3309473
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Brain activity and desire for internet video game play

📅 2011PMC: PMC3039876
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Neuroscience of Internet Pornography Addiction: A Review and Update

📅 2015PMC: PMC4600144
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The impact of internet pornography addiction on brain function: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

📚 Frontiers in Human Neuroscience📅 2025PMC: PMC12040873
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No evidence for decreased D2/3 receptor availability in subjects with compulsive pornography use

📚 Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging📅 2021
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Electrophysiological Evidence of Enhanced Processing of Novel Pornographic Images

📚 Frontiers in Human Neuroscience📅 2022PMC: PMC9259837
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Caffeine increases striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in the human brain

📅 2015PMC: PMC4462609
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Caffeine Induces Dopamine and Glutamate Release in the Shell of the Nucleus Accumbens

📚 Journal of Neuroscience, 22(15), 6321📅 2002PMC: PMC6758129
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Differential Effects of Caffeine on Dopamine and Acetylcholine Transmission

📚 Neuropsychopharmacology📅 2003
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Enhanced Striatal Dopamine Release to Expectation of Alcohol

📅 2020PMC: PMC6953614
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Intravenous ethanol increases dopamine release in the ventral striatum in humans: PET study

📅 2015PMC: PMC4348378

Key Findings:

  • •12.1% binding decrease in ventral striatum (males), 6.2% (females)
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Alcohol and Dopamine

📅 2019PMC: PMC6826820
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Long-term alcohol consumption alters dorsal striatal dopamine release

📚 Neuropsychopharmacology📅 2020
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Measuring Cigarette Smoking-Induced Cortical Dopamine Release: A [11C]FLB-457 PET Study

📅 2015PMC: PMC4397400
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Chronic nicotine increases midbrain dopamine neuron activity

📚 Nature Communications📅 2021
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Enhanced dopamine release by nicotine in cigarette smokers: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study

📚 International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 11(3), 413📅 2008
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Pharmacology of Nicotine: Addiction, Smoking-Induced Disease, and Therapeutics

📅 2010PMC: PMC2946180
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What motivates gambling behavior? Insight into dopamine's role

📅 2013PMC: PMC3845016
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Increased Striatal Dopamine Synthesis Capacity in Gambling Addiction

📅 2019PMC: PMC6698370

Key Findings:

  • •[18F]DOPA PET scanning
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Dopamine and Gambling Disorder: Prospects for Personalized Treatment

📅 2019PMC: PMC6855253
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Pathological Choice: The Neuroscience of Gambling and Gambling Addiction

📅 2013PMC: PMC3858640
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Dopamine and Risky Decision-Making in Gambling Disorder

📅 2020PMC: PMC7294471
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Increased dopamine tone during meditation-induced change of consciousness

📚 Cognitive Brain Research, 13(2), 255-259📅 2002PMID: 11958969

Key Findings:

  • •7.9% raclopride binding decrease = 65% DA release
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The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Impulsivity and its Neurobiological Correlates

📚 Scientific Reports📅 2019
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Meditation and Yoga can Modulate Brain Mechanisms that affect Behavior and Anxiety

📅 2016PMC: PMC4769029
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Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music

📚 Nature Neuroscience, 14, 257-262📅 2011

Key Findings:

  • •[11C]-raclopride PET + fMRI, Salimpoor et al.
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Dopamine modulates the reward experiences elicited by music

📅 2019PMC: PMC6397525

Key Findings:

  • •Pharmacological manipulation study
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From perception to pleasure: Music and its neural substrates

📅 2013PMC: PMC3690607
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The transformative power of music: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease

📅 2024PMC: PMC10765015
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Light and dopamine impact two circadian neurons to promote morning wakefulness

📚 Current Biology📅 2024PMC: PMC11404089DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.056

Key Findings:

  • •Dopamine receptor expression peaks in morning hours
  • •Light upregulates dopamine receptors to enhance wakefulness
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An integrated multi-omics analysis identifies novel regulators of circadian rhythm and sleep disruptions under unique light environment in Antarctica

📚 Molecular Psychiatry📅 2024PMC: PMC12092249DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02844-7

Key Findings:

  • •Elevated dopamine metabolites correlated with delayed sleep onset
  • •Sleep efficiency decreased during polar nights
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Blue Light and Digital Screens Revisited: A New Look at Blue Light from the Vision Quality, Circadian Rhythm and Cognitive Functions Perspective

📚 International Journal of Molecular Sciences📅 2024PMC: PMC11252550

Key Findings:

  • •Blue light activates dopamine-dependent pathways affecting alertness
  • •55% melatonin decrease after 2-hour screen exposure
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Comparative Effects of Red and Blue LED Light on Melatonin Levels During Three-Hour Exposure in Healthy Adults

📚 Chronobiology in Medicine📅 2024PMC: PMC12113466

Key Findings:

  • •Blue light caused 1.5-hour delay in melatonin onset
  • •ipRGCs transmit signals to SCN, inhibiting melatonin secretion
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N-3 (Omega-3) Fatty Acids: Effects on Brain Dopamine Systems and Potential Role in the Etiology and Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

📚 CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets📅 2018PMC: PMC6563911DOI: 10.2174/1871527317666180412153612

Key Findings:

  • •DHA constitutes 12-15% of brain fatty acids
  • •Omega-3 deficiency affects dopamine systems in ADHD, depression, Parkinson's
  • •Increased omega-3 consumption reduced Parkinson's risk from pesticides
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Dopamine dysfunction in stimulant-use disorders: Mechanistic comparisons and implications for treatment

📅 2021PMC: PMC8664889
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Association of Stimulant Use With Dopaminergic Alterations

📚 JAMA Psychiatry📅 2017
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Comparison of cocaine- and methamphetamine-evoked dopamine

📅 2001PMID: 11458542
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Cocaine Increases Stimulated Dopamine Release more in Periadolescent than Adult Rats

📅 2008PMC: PMC2570537
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Dopamine builds and reveals reward-associated latent behavioral attractors

📚 Nature Communications📅 2024
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Dopamine regulates decision thresholds in human reinforcement learning in males

📚 Nature Communications📅 2023
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Research Methods Used

PET Scanning

  • • [11C]-raclopride - D2/D3 receptor ligand
  • • [11C]-(+)-PHNO - High-affinity D2/D3 agonist
  • • [18F]-DOPA - Dopamine synthesis capacity
  • • [11C]-FLB-457 - Cortical dopamine

Other Methods

  • • fMRI - Functional magnetic resonance imaging
  • • fNIRS - Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
  • • EEG - Electroencephalography
  • • SPECT - Single photon emission computed tomography

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Database Sources

PubMed

U.S. National Library of Medicine

PMC (PubMed Central)

Free full-text archive

Nature

Nature Publishing Group

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