"The human brain is like a black box. We have developed one more way to look inside and understand how these systems work..."

A drug that increases dopamine in the brain has potential to reverse the effects of inflammation on brain reward circuitry, depression research finds.

A new study clarifies how L-dopa, the front-line drug for Parkinson's disease, also contributes to the rapid decline in quality of life over time.

When fruit flies eat a high-sugar diet, the response of neurons that signal reward in the brain get lower and slower. This leads to overeating.

A new study sheds light on how cocaine affects the brain and may offer potential treatments for fighting cocaine addiction.

"We've figured out how MDMA promotes social interaction and showed that's distinct from how it generates abuse potential among its users."

Connections among dopamine, motivation, and the immune system were once adaptive, say researchers, but can go awry in modern life.