Dopamine Detox
FeaturesSciencePricingBlog
Sign inGet started

Scientific Research

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

Showing 70 of 70 studies

Dopamine Pharmacodynamics: New Insights

๐Ÿ“š Int J Mol Sci๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC11121567PMID: 38791331DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105293๐Ÿ”ฌ Review

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขAbuse of substances like methamphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol and their consumption over time can induce changes in neuronal activities.
View Study

Dopamine: the rewarding years

๐Ÿ“š Br J Pharmacol๐Ÿ“… 2006PMC: PMC1760752PMID: 16402097DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjp.0706473๐Ÿ”ฌ Review

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขIt is also considered an essential element in the brain reward system and in the action of many drugs of abuse.
View Study

The Role of Dopamine in Neurological, Psychiatric, and Metabolic Disorders and Cancer: A Complex Web of Interactions

๐Ÿ“š Biomedicines๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC11853172PMID: 40002905DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines13020492๐Ÿ”ฌ Review

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขDopamine, a key neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is essential for regulating a wide range of physiological processes, including motor control, reward processing, mood regulation, and decision-making
View Study

Bidirectional Association between Physical Activity and Dopamine Across Adulthood-A Systematic Review

๐Ÿ“š Brain Sci๐Ÿ“… 2021PMC: PMC8301978PMID: 34201523DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070829๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Sedentary Lifestyle/Sitting All DayEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Exercise (Aerobic/HIIT)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Nature Walk/Outdoor ActivityEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for DancingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for SwimmingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Team Sports/Group FitnessEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขThus, there are robust effects of physical exercise on dopamine.
View Study

Voluntary Exercise Boosts Striatal Dopamine Release: Evidence for the Necessary and Sufficient Role of BDNF

๐Ÿ“š J Neurosci๐Ÿ“… 2022PMC: PMC9186798PMID: 35577554DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2273-21.2022๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Sedentary Lifestyle/Sitting All DayEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Exercise (Aerobic/HIIT)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Nature Walk/Outdoor ActivityEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for DancingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for SwimmingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Team Sports/Group FitnessEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWe found that exercise increased BDNF levels in dorsal striatum (dStr) and increased DA release in dStr and in nucleus accumbens core and shell.
View Study

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

๐Ÿ“š Front Public Health๐Ÿ“… 2023PMC: PMC10773799PMID: 38192549DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1257629๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Sedentary Lifestyle/Sitting All DayEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Exercise (Aerobic/HIIT)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Nature Walk/Outdoor ActivityEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for DancingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for SwimmingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Team Sports/Group FitnessEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขIn the nucleus accumbens shell (Nac Shell), the HIIT Exercise rats showed 16% greater D2R-like binding as compared to the sedentary rats.
View Study

Neurobiological risk factors for problematic social media use as a specific form of Internet addiction: A narrative review

๐Ÿ“š World J Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2023PMC: PMC10251362PMID: 37303928DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v13.i5.160๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Social MediaEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Compulsive Phone CheckingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Excessive Texting/MessagingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for YouTube/TikTok ScrollingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขA review of the literature shows that the vast majority of the mentioned neurobiological studies were focused on computer games addiction and generalized Internet addiction (without taking into account the consumed content).
View Study

Striatal dopamine synthesis capacity reflects smartphone social activity

๐Ÿ“š iScience๐Ÿ“… 2021PMC: PMC8170001PMID: 34113831DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102497๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=22
  • Evidence for Social MediaEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Compulsive Phone CheckingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Excessive Texting/MessagingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขSpecifically, we find that a higher proportion of social app interactions correlates with lower dopamine synthesis capacity in the bilateral putamen.
View Study

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

๐Ÿ“š Sci Rep๐Ÿ“… 2017PMC: PMC5362930PMID: 28332625DOI: 10.1038/srep45064๐Ÿ”ฌ Human observational ยท n=20
  • Evidence for Social MediaEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขSNS addiction is associated with a presumably more efficient impulsive brain system, manifested through reduced grey matter volumes in the amygdala bilaterally (but not with structural differences in the Nucleus Accumbens).
View Study

Modern Day High: The Neurocognitive Impact of Social Media Usage

๐Ÿ“š Cureus๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC12329480PMID: 40777702DOI: 10.7759/cureus.87496๐Ÿ”ฌ Human observational ยท n=100
  • Evidence for Social MediaEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Compulsive Phone CheckingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for YouTube/TikTok ScrollingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขOur findings show that social media engages in brain reward pathways akin to those seen in addictive behavior, with extended Beta and Gamma activity having the potential to interfere with emotional regulation and attention.
View Study

Relationship between peripheral blood dopamine level and internet addiction disorder in adolescents: a pilot study

๐Ÿ“š Int J Clin Exp Med๐Ÿ“… 2015PMC: PMC4538113PMID: 26309680๐Ÿ”ฌ Human observational ยท n=66
  • Evidence for Social MediaEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขFurthermore, the plasma dopamine level was significantly correlated with the Internet Addiction Test score (r = 0.457, P < 0.001).
View Study

Daily bingeing on sugar repeatedly releases dopamine in the accumbens shell

๐Ÿ“š Neuroscience๐Ÿ“… 2005PMID: 15987666DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.04.043๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Sugar & High-Fat FoodsEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Binge EatingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขrepeatedly increased extracellular DA to 130% of baseline as measured in the NAc shell by microdialysis during the first hour of sucrose access on day 1, day 2 and day 21
View Study

Excessive sugar intake alters binding to dopamine and mu-opioid receptors in the brain

๐Ÿ“š Neuroreport๐Ÿ“… 2001PMID: 11733709DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200111160-00035๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Sugar & High-Fat FoodsEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขThus, intermittent, excessive sugar intake sensitized D-1 and mu-1 receptors much like some drugs of abuse.
View Study

Recent studies of the effects of sugars on brain systems involved in energy balance and reward: Relevance to low calorie sweeteners

๐Ÿ“š Physiol Behav๐Ÿ“… 2016PMC: PMC5003688PMID: 27068180DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.004๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Sugar & High-Fat FoodsEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Processed/Junk FoodEvidence grade C: Editorial estimate โ€” no direct study yetCeditorial
  • Evidence for Fast Food/Drive-ThruEvidence grade C: Editorial estimate โ€” no direct study yetCeditorial
  • Evidence for Late Night SnackingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Binge EatingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขIn this review, we present an overview of the animal literature produced in the last 5years highlighting the effects of sugar consumption on neural pathways involved in energy balance regulation and reward processing.
View Study

Evidence for striatal dopamine release during a video game

๐Ÿ“š Nature๐Ÿ“… 1998PMID: 9607763DOI: 10.1038/30498๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET
  • Evidence for Video GamesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขBinding of raclopride to dopamine receptors in the striatum was significantly reduced during the video game compared with baseline levels of binding, consistent with increased release and binding of dopamine to its receptors.
View Study

The neural basis of video gaming

๐Ÿ“š Transl Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2011PMC: PMC3309473PMID: 22833208DOI: 10.1038/tp.2011.53๐Ÿ”ฌ Human fMRI ยท n=154
  • Evidence for Video GamesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWe found higher left striatal grey matter volume when comparing frequent against infrequent video game players that was negatively correlated with deliberation time in CGT.
View Study

Brain activity and desire for Internet video game play

๐Ÿ“š Compr Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2011PMC: PMC3039876PMID: 21220070DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2010.04.004๐Ÿ”ฌ Human fMRI ยท n=19
  • Evidence for Video GamesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขThe present findings suggest that cue-induced activation to Internet video game stimuli may be similar to that observed during cue presentation in persons with substance dependence or pathologic gambling.
View Study

Neuroscience of Internet Pornography Addiction: A Review and Update

๐Ÿ“š Behav Sci (Basel)๐Ÿ“… 2015PMC: PMC4600144PMID: 26393658DOI: 10.3390/bs5030388๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for PornographyEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขThe review leads to the conclusion that Internet pornography addiction fits into the addiction framework and shares similar basic mechanisms with substance addiction.
View Study

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

๐Ÿ“š Front Hum Neurosci๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC12040873PMID: 40309664DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1477914๐Ÿ”ฌ Human observational ยท n=21
  • Evidence for PornographyEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขAfter viewing the pornography, the high-frequency group demonstrated longer reaction times and significantly reduced accuracy while completing the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT) compared to the low-frequency group and also their own performance before and after viewing the pornography.
View Study

No evidence for decreased D2/3 receptor availability and frontal hypoperfusion in subjects with compulsive pornography use

๐Ÿ“š Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging๐Ÿ“… 2021PMID: 33774451DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111284๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=25
  • Contradicts PornographyEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขNo group differences between striatal BPND's of [11C]-raclopride in subjects with (n = 15) and without (n = 10) CPU were detected.
View Study

Electrophysiological Evidence of Enhanced Processing of Novel Pornographic Images in Individuals With Tendencies Toward Problematic Internet Pornography Use

๐Ÿ“š Front Hum Neurosci๐Ÿ“… 2022PMC: PMC9259837PMID: 35814959DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.897536๐Ÿ”ฌ Human observational ยท n=52
  • Evidence for PornographyEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWhile both groups demonstrated a sustained novelty effect in the late positive potential (LPP) within the 500-800 ms time windows, the novelty effect was greater in the high tendencies toward PIPU group than in the low tendencies toward PIPU group.
View Study

Caffeine increases striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability in the human brain

๐Ÿ“š Transl Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2015PMC: PMC4462609PMID: 25871974DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.46๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=20
  • Contradicts Caffeine (Coffee/Energy Drinks)Evidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Contradicts Energy Drinks (High Caffeine)Evidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขOur findings indicate that in the human brain, caffeine, at doses typically consumed, increases the availability of DA D2/D3 receptors, which indicates that caffeine does not increase DA in the striatum for this would have decreased D2/D3 receptor availability.
View Study

Caffeine induces dopamine and glutamate release in the shell of the nucleus accumbens

๐Ÿ“š J Neurosci๐Ÿ“… 2002PMC: PMC6758129PMID: 12151508DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.22-15-06321.2002๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Caffeine (Coffee/Energy Drinks)Evidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Energy Drinks (High Caffeine)Evidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขUsing in vivo microdialysis in freely moving rats, we demonstrate that systemic administration of behaviorally relevant doses of caffeine can preferentially increase extracellular levels of dopamine and glutamate in the shell of the NAc.
View Study

Differential effects of caffeine on dopamine and acetylcholine transmission in brain areas of drug-naive and caffeine-pretreated rats

๐Ÿ“š Neuropsychopharmacology๐Ÿ“… 2002PMID: 12093592DOI: 10.1016/s0893-133x(02)00290-7๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Contradicts Caffeine (Coffee/Energy Drinks)Evidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Contradicts Energy Drinks (High Caffeine)Evidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขIntravenous administration of caffeine (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg) dose-dependently increased dopamine and acetylcholine dialysate concentrations in the medial prefrontal cortex, while it did not affect dialysate dopamine in the shell and core of the nucleus accumbens.
View Study

Enhanced Striatal Dopamine Release to Expectation of Alcohol: A Potential Risk Factorย for Alcohol Use Disorder

๐Ÿ“š Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging๐Ÿ“… 2018PMC: PMC6953614PMID: 29803635DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.03.018๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=65
  • Evidence for AlcoholEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขAlcohol resulted in greater dopamine release than did placebo in the ventral striatum (p < .001).
View Study

Intravenous ethanol increases dopamine release in the ventral striatum in humans: PET study using bolus-plus-infusion administration of [(11)C]raclopride

๐Ÿ“š J Cereb Blood Flow Metab๐Ÿ“… 2015PMC: PMC4348378PMID: 25492110DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2014.209๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=9
  • Evidence for AlcoholEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขAutomated region-of-interest analysis testing the difference between baseline (40-50 minutes) and intervention (60-85 minutes) revealed an average 12.6% decrease in [11C]raclopride binding in the ventral striatum (VST, P=0.003) including the NAcc.
View Study

Alcohol and dopamine

๐Ÿ“š Alcohol Health Res World๐Ÿ“… 1997PMC: PMC6826820PMID: 15704345๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for AlcoholEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขEven low alcohol doses can increase dopamine release in part of the NAc.
View Study

Long-term alcohol consumption alters dorsal striatal dopamine release and regulation by D2 dopamine receptors in rhesus macaques

๐Ÿ“š Neuropsychopharmacology๐Ÿ“… 2021PMC: PMC8209056PMID: 33452430DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00938-8๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for AlcoholEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขFollowing long-term alcohol consumption, male macaques, regardless of abstinence status, had reduced dopamine release in putamen, while only male macaques in abstinence had reduced dopamine release in caudate.
View Study

Measuring cigarette smoking-induced cortical dopamine release: A [ยนยนC]FLB-457 PET study

๐Ÿ“š Neuropsychopharmacology๐Ÿ“… 2015PMC: PMC4397400PMID: 25502631DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.327๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=10
  • Evidence for Nicotine/SmokingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for Vaping/E-CigarettesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขThe overall peak t was located in the cingulate gyrus, which was part of a larger medial cluster (BPND change -12.1ยฑ9.4%) and this survived false discovery rate correction for multiple comparisons.
View Study

Chronic nicotine increases midbrain dopamine neuron activity and biases individual strategies towards reduced exploration in mice

๐Ÿ“š Nat Commun๐Ÿ“… 2021PMC: PMC8635406PMID: 34836948DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27268-7๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Nicotine/SmokingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for Vaping/E-CigarettesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWe then mimicked the effect of chronic nicotine on the tonic activity of dopamine neurons using optogenetics, and found that photo-stimulated mice adopted a behavioral phenotype similar to that of mice exposed to chronic nicotine.
View Study

Enhanced dopamine release by nicotine in cigarette smokers: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study

๐Ÿ“š Int J Neuropsychopharmacol๐Ÿ“… 2008PMID: 17949514DOI: 10.1017/s1461145707008103๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET
  • Evidence for Nicotine/SmokingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for Vaping/E-CigarettesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขSmokers showed significant decrease in BP in the striatum following nicotine administration, but non-smokers did not show such a decrease.
View Study

Pharmacology of nicotine: addiction, smoking-induced disease, and therapeutics

๐Ÿ“š Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol๐Ÿ“… 2009PMC: PMC2946180PMID: 18834313DOI: 10.1146/annurev.pharmtox.48.113006.094742๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Nicotine/SmokingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for Vaping/E-CigarettesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขDopamine, glutamate, and gamma aminobutyric acid release are particularly important in the development of nicotine dependence.
View Study

What motivates gambling behavior? Insight into dopamine's role

๐Ÿ“š Front Behav Neurosci๐Ÿ“… 2013PMC: PMC3845016PMID: 24348355DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00182๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Gambling/BettingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
View Study

Increased Striatal Dopamine Synthesis Capacity in Gambling Addiction

๐Ÿ“š Biol Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2018PMC: PMC6698370PMID: 28728675DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.06.010๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=28
  • Evidence for Gambling/BettingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขDopamine synthesis was 16% higher in the caudate body, 17% higher in the dorsal putamen, and 17% higher in the ventral striatum in pathological gamblers compared with control subjects.
View Study

Dopamine and Gambling Disorder: Prospects for Personalized Treatment

๐Ÿ“š Curr Addict Rep๐Ÿ“… 2019PMC: PMC6855253PMID: 31728265DOI: 10.1007/s40429-019-00240-8๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Gambling/BettingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขNewer work has suggested that dopaminergic dysfunction can lead to increased reward anticipation and a greater sensitivity to uncertainty, which in turn may drive addictive gambling behaviors.
View Study

Pathological choice: the neuroscience of gambling and gambling addiction

๐Ÿ“š J Neurosci๐Ÿ“… 2013PMC: PMC3858640PMID: 24198353DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3231-13.2013๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Gambling/BettingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขSecond, excessive gambling involvement (i.e., pathological gambling) is currently conceptualized as a behavioral addiction, and research on this condition may provide insights into addictive mechanisms in the absence of exogenous drug effects.
View Study

Dopamine and Risky Decision-Making in Gambling Disorder

๐Ÿ“š eNeuro๐Ÿ“… 2020PMC: PMC7294471PMID: 32341121DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0461-19.2020๐Ÿ”ฌ Randomised trial ยท n=14
  • Evidence for Gambling/BettingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขAn increase in risk-taking under tolcapone versus placebo was about five times more likely, given the data, than a decrease [Bayes factor (BF) = 0.2].
View Study

Increased dopamine tone during meditation-induced change of consciousness

๐Ÿ“š Brain Res Cogn Brain Res๐Ÿ“… 2002PMID: 11958969DOI: 10.1016/s0926-6410(01)00106-9๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET
  • Evidence for Meditation/MindfulnessEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Gratitude Practice/JournalingEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Deep Breathing/BreathworkEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Prayer/Spiritual PracticeEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขDuring meditation, 11C-raclopride binding in ventral striatum decreased by 7.9%.
View Study

The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Impulsivity and its Neurobiological Correlates in Healthy Adults

๐Ÿ“š Sci Rep๐Ÿ“… 2019PMC: PMC6700173PMID: 31427669DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47662-y๐Ÿ”ฌ Randomised trial
  • Contradicts Meditation/MindfulnessEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Contradicts Gratitude Practice/JournalingEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Contradicts Deep Breathing/BreathworkEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Contradicts Prayer/Spiritual PracticeEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขan eight-week mindfulness intervention did not reduce impulsivity on the go/no-go task or Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), nor produce changes in neural correlates of impulsivity (i.e. frontostriatal gray matter, functional connectivity, and dopamine levels)
View Study

Meditation and Yoga can Modulate Brain Mechanisms that affect Behavior and Anxiety-A Modern Scientific Perspective

๐Ÿ“š Anc Sci๐Ÿ“… 2015PMC: PMC4769029PMID: 26929928DOI: 10.14259/as.v2i1.171๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Meditation/MindfulnessEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Yoga/StretchingEvidence grade C: Editorial estimate โ€” no direct study yetCeditorial
  • Evidence for Gratitude Practice/JournalingEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Deep Breathing/BreathworkEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Prayer/Spiritual PracticeEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขBased on studies conducted so far, it has been found that the practice of meditation triggers neurotransmitters that modulate psychological disorders such as anxiety.
View Study

Anatomically distinct dopamine release during anticipation and experience of peak emotion to music

๐Ÿ“š Nat Neurosci๐Ÿ“… 2011PMID: 21217764DOI: 10.1038/nn.2726๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET
  • Evidence for Creative Activities (Art/Music/Writing)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Music (Listening)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Playing Music/SingingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for DancingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขUsing the neurochemical specificity of [11C]raclopride positron emission tomography scanning, combined with psychophysiological measures of autonomic nervous system activity, we found endogenous dopamine release in the striatum at peak emotional arousal during music listening.
View Study

Dopamine modulates the reward experiences elicited by music

๐Ÿ“š Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A๐Ÿ“… 2019PMC: PMC6397525PMID: 30670642DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1811878116๐Ÿ”ฌ Randomised trial ยท n=27
  • Evidence for Creative Activities (Art/Music/Writing)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Music (Listening)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Playing Music/SingingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for DancingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWe demonstrate that levodopa and risperidone led to opposite effects in measures of musical pleasure and motivation: while the dopamine precursor levodopa, compared with placebo, increased the hedonic experience and music-related motivational responses, risperidone led to a reduction of both.
View Study

From perception to pleasure: music and its neural substrates

๐Ÿ“š Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A๐Ÿ“… 2013PMC: PMC3690607PMID: 23754373DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1301228110๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Music (Listening)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Playing Music/SingingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขRecent data indicate that this dopaminergic system mediates pleasure associated with music; specifically, reward value for music can be coded by activity levels in the nucleus accumbens
View Study

The transformative power of music: Insights into neuroplasticity, health, and disease

๐Ÿ“š Brain Behav Immun Health๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC10765015PMID: 38178844DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100716๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Creative Activities (Art/Music/Writing)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Music (Listening)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Playing Music/SingingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขMoreover, music training can bring about structural and functional changes in the brain, and studies have shown its positive effects on social bonding, cognitive abilities, and language processing.
View Study

Dopamine dysfunction in stimulant use disorders: mechanistic comparisons and implications for treatment

๐Ÿ“š Mol Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2022PMC: PMC8664889PMID: 34117366DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01180-4๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Methamphetamine/AmphetaminesEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for CocaineEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขDopamine system deficiencies and associated behavioral phenotypes may be a critical barrier to success in treating stimulant use disorders.
View Study

Association of Stimulant Use With Dopaminergic Alterations in Users of Cocaine, Amphetamine, or Methamphetamine: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

๐Ÿ“š JAMA Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2017PMC: PMC5419581PMID: 28297025DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.0135๐Ÿ”ฌ Meta-analysis ยท n=1031
  • Evidence for Methamphetamine/AmphetaminesEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for CocaineEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขa significant decrease in D2/D3 receptor availability: the effect size was -0.76 (95% CI, -0.92 to -0.60; P < .001) for stimulants combined
View Study

Comparison of cocaine- and methamphetamine-evoked dopamine and glutamate overflow in somatodendritic and terminal field regions of the rat brain during acute, chronic, and early withdrawal conditions

๐Ÿ“š Ann N Y Acad Sci๐Ÿ“… 2001PMID: 11458542DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb03560.x๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Methamphetamine/AmphetaminesEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for CocaineEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขAcute injection of methamphetamine (1 mg/kg of body weight) or cocaine (10 mg/kg) resulted in elevated levels of extracellular dopamine in all brain regions measured, although the magnitude of increase varied between brain regions.
View Study

Cocaine increases stimulated dopamine release more in periadolescent than adult rats

๐Ÿ“š Neurotoxicol Teratol๐Ÿ“… 2008PMC: PMC2570537PMID: 18508233DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2008.04.002๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for CocaineEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขCocaine increased dopamine concentrations elicited by 20 Hz stimulations 3-fold in the adult, but almost 9-fold in periadolescent caudate.
View Study

Dopamine builds and reveals reward-associated latent behavioral attractors

๐Ÿ“š Nat Commun๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC11561151PMID: 39537606DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53976-x๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWe validated these predictions optogenetically in mice: dopamine neuromodulation suddenly and specifically attracted animals toward rewarded locations, without off-target motor effects.
View Study

Dopamine regulates decision thresholds in human reinforcement learning in males

๐Ÿ“š Nat Commun๐Ÿ“… 2023PMC: PMC10477234PMID: 37666865DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41130-y๐Ÿ”ฌ Human fMRI ยท n=31

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWe found little credible evidence for previously reported beneficial effects of L-dopa vs. Haloperidol on learning from gains and altered neural prediction error signals, which may be partly due to differences experimental design and/or drug dosages.
View Study

Voluntary exercise increases striatal dopamine release and improves motor performance in aging mice

๐Ÿ“š NPJ Parkinsons Dis๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC12690118PMID: 41366256DOI: 10.1038/s41531-025-01213-7๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Exercise (Aerobic/HIIT)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขAlthough daily running distance for females was nearly twice that of males, runners of both sexes showed comparable increases in evoked DA release in dorsolateral striatum and in nucleus accumbens core and shell compared to age- and sex-matched controls.
View Study

Adenosine A(2A) and dopamine D(2) receptor interaction controls fatigue resistance

๐Ÿ“š Front Pharmacol๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC11163034PMID: 38860172DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1390187๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Caffeine (Coffee/Energy Drinks)Evidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Energy Drinks (High Caffeine)Evidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Exercise (Aerobic/HIIT)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWhile systemic DPCPX had little effect on motor performance or fatigue, the application of either caffeine or SCH58261 was ergogenic, and these effects were attenuated by haloperidol.
View Study

Social Media Algorithms and Teen Addiction: Neurophysiological Impact and Ethical Considerations

๐Ÿ“š Cureus๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC11804976PMID: 39925596DOI: 10.7759/cureus.77145๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Social MediaEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Compulsive Phone CheckingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for YouTube/TikTok ScrollingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขFrequent engagement with social media platforms alters dopamine pathways, a critical component in reward processing, fostering dependency analogous to substance addiction.
View Study

Dopamine-scrolling: a modern public health challenge requiring urgent attention

๐Ÿ“š Perspect Public Health๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC12322333PMID: 40219910DOI: 10.1177/17579139251331914๐Ÿ”ฌ Other
  • Evidence for Social MediaEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for News/DoomscrollingEvidence grade C: Editorial estimate โ€” no direct study yetCeditorial
  • Evidence for Compulsive Phone CheckingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for YouTube/TikTok ScrollingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขWhile extensive research exists on Internet addiction, problematic social media use, and doom-scrolling, the authors of this paper identify dopamine-scrolling as a distinct behavioural pattern that warrants specific attention from public health professionals and policymakers.
View Study

Neuroanatomical and functional substrates of the short video addiction and its association with brain transcriptomic and cellular architecture

๐Ÿ“š Neuroimage๐Ÿ“… 2025PMID: 39826772DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121029๐Ÿ”ฌ Human fMRI
  • Evidence for Social MediaEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for YouTube/TikTok ScrollingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขStructurally, SVA was positively correlated with increased morphological volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and bilateral cerebellum.
View Study

Brain dopamine responses to ultra-processed milkshakes are highly variable and not significantly related to adiposity in humans

๐Ÿ“š Cell Metab๐Ÿ“… 2025PMID: 40043691DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2025.02.002๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=50
  • Contradicts Sugar & High-Fat FoodsEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขmilkshake consumption did not result in a significant post-ingestive dopamine response in the striatum (p = 0.62) nor in any striatal subregion (p > 0.33)
View Study

Ultra-Processed Food Addiction: A Research Update

๐Ÿ“š Curr Obes Rep๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC11150183PMID: 38760652DOI: 10.1007/s13679-024-00569-w๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Sugar & High-Fat FoodsEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Processed/Junk FoodEvidence grade C: Editorial estimate โ€” no direct study yetCeditorial
  • Evidence for Fast Food/Drive-ThruEvidence grade C: Editorial estimate โ€” no direct study yetCeditorial
  • Evidence for Binge EatingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขobserving altered functioning across the brain-gut-microbiome axis; (4) providing early evidence for UPF withdrawal
View Study

Gaming disorder: Neural mechanisms andย ongoing debates

๐Ÿ“š J Behav Addict๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC11974403PMID: 39786382DOI: 10.1556/2006.2024.00071๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Video GamesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขEvidence suggests that gaming disorder shares similar neurobiological alterations with other types of behavioural and substance-related addictions, which further supports gaming disorder as a behavioural addiction.
View Study

Biomarkers of Internet Gaming Disorder-A Narrative Review

๐Ÿ“š J Clin Med๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC11396063PMID: 39274323DOI: 10.3390/jcm13175110๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Video GamesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขThe IGD patients' hypersensitivity to reward manifests mostly in ventral striatum (VS) measurements.
View Study

Striatal Neural Processing of Sexual Cues in Problematic Pornography Use: A Systematic Review

๐Ÿ“š Curr Addict Rep๐Ÿ“… 2025DOI: 10.1007/s40429-025-00702-2๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for PornographyEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขSome studies find higher ventral and dorsal striatal activity in participants with PPU compared to non-problematic users when processing proximal and distal sexual cues, whereas other studies report no striatal activity differences.
View Study

Measuring Alcohol-Induced Striatal Dopamine Release in Healthy Humans With [(11)C]-Raclopride: A Meta-Analysis

๐Ÿ“š Synapse๐Ÿ“… 2025PMID: 39729041DOI: 10.1002/syn.70007๐Ÿ”ฌ Meta-analysis
  • Evidence for AlcoholEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขOral alcohol administration was associated with a significant reduction in [11C]-raclopride binding potential (BPND) in the ventral striatum (Cohen's d = -0.76), indicative of increased DA release
View Study

From Smoking to Vaping: The Motivation for E-cigarette Use at the Neurobiological Level-A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

๐Ÿ“š Nicotine Tob Res๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC12187334PMID: 39569465DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntae273๐Ÿ”ฌ Human fMRI ยท n=75
  • Evidence for Nicotine/SmokingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for Vaping/E-CigarettesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขExclusive e-cigarette users demonstrated increased activation in limbic regions, for example, the nucleus accumbens, during the anticipation of e-liquid and money over tobacco cigarettes.
View Study

Neurobiological Mechanisms of Nicotine Reward and Aversion

๐Ÿ“š Pharmacol Rev๐Ÿ“… 2022PMC: PMC11060337PMID: 35017179DOI: 10.1124/pharmrev.121.000299๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Nicotine/SmokingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for Vaping/E-CigarettesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขHigh-affinity nAChRs can incorporate additional subunits, including ฮฒ3, ฮฑ6, or ฮฑ5 subunits, with the resulting nAChR subtypes playing discrete and dissociable roles in the stimulatory actions of nicotine on brain dopamine transmission.
View Study

Linking Striatal Dopaminergic Asymmetry with Personality Traits: Insights from Gambling Disorder

๐Ÿ“š J Gambl Stud๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC11557681PMID: 38755422DOI: 10.1007/s10899-024-10311-9๐Ÿ”ฌ Human observational
  • Evidence for Gambling/BettingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขSpecifically, high novelty seeking scores correlated with increased DAT binding in the left caudate relative to the right, whereas higher harm avoidance scores corresponded to increased DAT binding in the right putamen relative to the left.
View Study

Neurobiological Changes Induced by Mindfulness and Meditation: A Systematic Review

๐Ÿ“š Biomedicines๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC11591838PMID: 39595177DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12112613๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Meditation/MindfulnessEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Deep Breathing/BreathworkEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Prayer/Spiritual PracticeEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขMindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) enhances brain regions related to emotional processing and sensory perception, improves psychological outcomes like anxiety and depression, and exhibits unique mechanisms of pain reduction compared to placebo.
View Study

Mindfulness Meditation and Network Neuroscience: Review, Synthesis, and Future Directions

๐Ÿ“š Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC12096460PMID: 39561891DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.11.005๐Ÿ”ฌ Review
  • Evidence for Meditation/MindfulnessEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Deep Breathing/BreathworkEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed
  • Evidence for Prayer/Spiritual PracticeEvidence grade B, mixed evidence: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animalmixed

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขAlthough preliminary, results across studies suggest that mindfulness meditation results in a shift in connector hubs, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, the thalamus, and the mid-insula.
View Study

Live music stimulates the affective brain and emotionally entrains listeners in real time

๐Ÿ“š Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A๐Ÿ“… 2024PMC: PMC10927510PMID: 38408255DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2316306121๐Ÿ”ฌ Human fMRI
  • Evidence for Creative Activities (Art/Music/Writing)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Music (Listening)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Playing Music/SingingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขLive pleasant and unpleasant piano music performed in response to amygdala neurofeedback from listeners was acoustically very different from comparable recorded music and elicited significantly higher and more consistent amygdala activity.
View Study

Nucleus accumbens dynamics in food reward seeking and regulation by sleep

๐Ÿ“š Transl Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2025PMC: PMC12218339PMID: 40593485DOI: 10.1038/s41398-025-03442-z๐Ÿ”ฌ Animal
  • Evidence for Late Night SnackingEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Excessive Screen Time Before BedEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Revenge Bedtime ProcrastinationEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Quality Sleep (7-9 hours)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal
  • Evidence for Power Nap (20-30 min)Evidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขMoreover, acute sleep deprivation increased sucrose SA while reduced NAc Ca2+ responses and dampened its sensitivity to reward update.
View Study

Dexamphetamine-induced striatal hyperdopaminergia attenuates reward-related neural activation: A11C-PHNO PET-fMRI study

๐Ÿ“š Biological Psychiatry๐Ÿ“… 2026PMID: 42710822DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2026.08.019๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=28
  • Evidence for Methamphetamine/AmphetaminesEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขDexamphetamine significantly attenuated this effect, driven by reduced VS responses to relevant cues without increased responses to irrelevant features.
View Study

Replication of sex differences in tobacco smoking-induced dopamine responses and extension to nicotine replacement therapy

๐Ÿ“š Nicotine & Tobacco Research๐Ÿ“… 2026PMID: 42700183DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntag202๐Ÿ”ฌ Human PET ยท n=31
  • Evidence for Nicotine/SmokingEvidence grade A: Human imaging or trial evidence with a measured effectAimaging / trial
  • Evidence for Vaping/E-CigarettesEvidence grade B: Human observational or animal evidenceBobservational / animal

Key Findings:

  • โ€ขUnder placebo, men showed greater dopamine activation in the ventral striatum (p=0.047), consistent with reward-driven smoking. Women exhibited higher spatial extent in the right dorsal caudate (p=0.028) and whole caudate (q=0.033), consistent with habit- and stress-related mechanisms.
View Study

Research Methods Used

PET Scanning

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

Other Methods

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

Want practical guides?

Our blog translates this research into actionable strategies for dopamine detox, habit building, and digital wellness.

Ready to put the science into practice?

Track your dopamine habits with scores based on these studies. See your data. Build streaks. Cut back.

Database Sources

PubMed

U.S. National Library of Medicine

PMC (PubMed Central)

Free full-text archive

Nature

Nature Publishing Group

Dopamine Detox

Take control of your habits and build a healthier relationship with dopamine.

Product

  • Pricing
  • Dashboard

Resources

  • Scientific Research
  • Help Center
  • Blog

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Cookie Policy
  • Refund Policy

Medical Disclaimer: This app is for general wellness purposes only and is not a medical device. It has not been evaluated by the FDA or any medical regulatory authority. The information provided is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This app is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. If you are experiencing a medical emergency or mental health crisis, call 988 (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) or 911 immediately.

ยฉ 2026 Dopamine Detox App. All rights reserved.