Coming home and saying “home sweet home” seems more accurate than ever. This is attested by a study carried out by neuroscientists from Florida Atlantic University (United States) and published in the journal Neurochemistry International. The researchers conducted a series of experiments with rodents, the conclusions clearly suggesting that the sense of security and comfort offered by an environment known as home leads to a deep release of pleasure-linked neurotransmitters (dopamine) in the brain’s nucleus accumbens, a zone with a close relationship with the emotional and motivational aspects.
“There is no other place like home”, said Dorothy in the immortal movie The Wizard of Oz , And is that scientists have proven that returning home promotes the release of dopamine.
Dopamine is essential for motivational control or for directing reward-seeking behaviors, among other things. The release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens of humans and rodents is an area of the brain that mediates both natural rewards and addictive substances. The activity of neurons that drives the release of dopamine is sensitive to certain stimuli and in the study just presented by the FAU scientists they reveal that the simple act of “going home” is the perfect push for the release of dopamine. And the response is similar to that generated by a dose of cocaine, the authors point out.
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Experiment
For the study, the researchers used a sensitive technique known as fiber photometry to capture the second-by-second changes in dopamine in the nucleus accumbens of a group of rodents, demonstrating, once again, the importance of the brain system in the abuse of substances because addiction is key to everyday pleasures.
“Our data provide clear evidence of a biochemical basis for the reinforcing properties of the domestic cage return. This simple environmental manipulation may provide a minimally invasive approach to remove aspects of the reward circuits connected to natural reinforcers critical to survival. “says Randy Blakely, lead author of the work.
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Practical effects
According to the researchers, this finding could have a direct application in the design of new therapeutic and pharmacological strategies to treat diseases related to the inability to feel pleasure.
“We believe that monitoring cage-induced dopamine release at home provides a simple but powerful paradigm for studying how genetic and life events can lead to an inability to feel pleasure; an important feature of state disorders. mood and a simple test of the effectiveness of drugs or other treatments, “says Blakely.
Because they couldn’t ask the mice if they felt better and safer in a familiar environment, they examined the surges in dopamine as they were moved from a Plexiglas chamber to a clean cage, with natural bedding , that matched the one they had. been living even before the experiment.
“We were surprised by how reliable the manipulation was in evoking dopamine release, particularly when placed in the context of minimal or no dopamine surge when the mice were moved from the cage to the test chamber. We are excited to see it. now if the genetic models of brain disorders that we study will have an impact on this effect, “he concludes.
Referencia: There’s No Place Like Home? Return to the Home Cage Triggers Dopamine Release in the Mouse Nucleus Accumbens. Felix P. Mayer, Hideki Iwamoto, Maureen K. Hahn, Gregory J. Grumbar, Adele Stewart, Yulong Li and Randy D. Blakely. Neurochemistry International (2020).DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104894
