Optimal Being

In a recent study published in   Behavioral and Brain Functions , scientists have delved into the interplay between fear and greed, revealing intriguing insights into our brain’s workings. By examining how individuals’ brains react to negative emotional faces, the research sheds light on the neurological underpinnings of dispositional greed, offering a novel perspective on the age-old adage of fear and greed driving human behavior. The scientific investigation was motivated by the desire to bridge a gap in our understanding of the neurobiological roots of greed, especially outside the financial realm. While fear often leads to defensive actions, greed pushes individuals towards risk-taking and aggressive behaviors. This divergence, particularly evident in financial decision-making, suggests a complex relationship between our emotional responses and behavioral outcomes. The researchers aimed to explore this relationship further by focusing on how the brain’s reaction to negative emo...

  Summary:  Withdrawal from psychostimulants including methamphetamines, cocaine, and nicotine, produced restructuring of brain regions and major increases in functional connectivity, a new mouse study reveals. Source:  UCSD Addictive psychostimulants, from nicotine in cigarettes to illicit drugs like  methamphetamine and cocaine, affect different regions of the brain. The same  is believed true during withdrawal; finding a common brain pathway has proved el usive.  In a new paper, publishing September 27, 2021 in the journal  eNeuro , a multi-institution team of researchers describe how withdrawal from nicotine, methamphetamine and cocaine altered the functional architecture and patterns in the brains of mice, compared to control animals.  They found that each drug produced a unique pattern of activity in the brain, but that mouse brains in withdrawal shared similar features. Perhaps more notably, the researchers said all psychostimulants shared ...