{"id":39288,"date":"2017-08-07T11:37:30","date_gmt":"2017-08-07T11:37:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=39288"},"modified":"2017-08-07T11:37:30","modified_gmt":"2017-08-07T11:37:30","slug":"dopamine-neurons-may-regulate-our-biological-clock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/health\/medical\/dopamine-neurons-may-regulate-our-biological-clock.html","title":{"rendered":"Dopamine neurons may regulate our biological clock"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dopamine neurons may regulate our biological clock<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Dopamine neurons may regulate our biological clock:- A team of researchers from the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville set out to examine the neurological underpinnings of our so-called body clock.<\/span><\/p>\n

The phrase “biological clock” refers to the “center” that controls the different groups of interacting molecules that are found throughout the human body.<\/span><\/p>\n

These different groups are controlled by a main “master clock” consisting of neurons located in an area of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN is found in the brain’s hypothalamus, and it consists of more than 20,000 neurons.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new research identifies additional neurons that play a key role in regulating our bodily rhythms. Specifically, the new study – published in the journal Current Biology – finds that dopamine-producing neurons have a direct connection to the brain’s SCN.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that controls pleasure signaling, learning, and movement. It also helps the brain to process rewards, as well as to detect when food or a sexual partner is available.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although it has deep biological roots, the activity of the body clock is also regulated by external stimuli, such as light and darkness.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new findings may help researchers to better understand how phenomena such as jet lag or shift work affect the body, and to come up with better therapies for these effects.<\/span><\/p>\n

The research was overseen by Ali Deniz G\u00fcler, a UVA professor of biology and neuroscience whose laboratory hosted the study, and the first author of the paper is Ryan Grippo, a Ph.D. candidate and student of Prof. G\u00fcler’s.<\/span><\/p>\n

source: http:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/318830.php<\/span><\/p>\n

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