Pathogenic accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, caused by an imbalance of anabolic and catabolic activity in the brain, is believed to trigger Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Identified familial mutations on APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes induce excessive production of toxic Aβ species, such as Aβ42 and Aβ43, or alter the Aβ42/40 ratio, leading to Aβ deposition […]
Understanding how the brain translates a structured sequence of sounds, such as music, into a pleasant and rewarding experience is a fascinating question which may be crucial to better understand the processing of abstract rewards in humans. Previous neuroimaging findings point to a challenging role of the dopaminergic system in music-evoked pleasure. However, there is […]
Dopamine agonists have been proposed as therapeutic tools for cocaine addiction. We have recently demonstrated that indirect dopamine agonists, including levodopa (L-DOPA), markedly increase cocaine-induced dopamine release in themedial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rats leading to the suppression of cocaine-seeking behavior. This study was aimed to understand the behavioral and neurochemical effects of L-DOPA on […]
Present study aimed to assess effect of pre-treatment with Mucuna pruriens seedextract and its bioactive molecule(s) on NMDAR and Tau protein gene expression incerebral ischemic rodent model. Methanol extract of M. pruriens seeds wascharacterized by HPLC, and β-sitosterol was isolated by flash chromatography. Invivo studies to observe the effect of pre-treatment (28 days) with methanol […]
Cognitive control is subjectively costly, suggesting that engagement is modulated in relationship to incentive state. Dopamine appears to play key roles. In particular, dopamine may mediate cognitive effort by two broad classes of functions: 1) modulating the functional parameters of working memory circuits subserving effortful cognition, and 2) mediating value-learning and decision-making about effortful cognitive […]
Objective: To understand the mechanism of action of Mucuna pruriens in the treatment of male infertility. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Departments of Biochemistry, Urology, and Obstetrics and Gynecology, C.S.M. Medical University,Lucknow, India. Patient(s): Seventy-five normal healthy fertile men (controls) and 75 men undergoing infertility screening. Intervention(s): High-performance liquid chromatography assay for quantitation of dopa, adrenaline, […]
Abstract: In this study, Mucuna pruriens extracts were used to verify their application as a natural-based raw material with anti-inflammatory function. A nitric oxide inhibition activity assay showed that M. pruriens extracted with hot water (MW), M. pruriens extracted with 70% ethanol (ME), and M. pruriens extracted with 70% acetone (MA) presented NO inhibition activity; […]
The ability of the central nervous system to form motor memories, a process contributing to motor learning and skill acquisition, decreases with age. Dopaminergic activity, one of the mechanisms implicated in memory formation, experiences a similar decline with aging. It is possible that restoring dopaminergic function in elderly adults could lead to improved formation of […]
Dopamine is a potent modulator of learning and has been implicated in the encoding of stimulus salience. Repetition, however, as required for the acquisition and reacquisition of sensorimotor or cognitive skills (e.g., in aphasia therapy), decreases salience. We here tested whether increasing brain levels of dopamine during repetitive training improves learning success. Forty healthy humans […]
Abstract: L-dopa, a dopaminergic agonist, is the gold standard for the treatment of Parkinson’sdisease. However, due to the long-term toxicity and adverse effects of using L-dopa as the first-linetherapy for Parkinson’s disease, a search for alternative medications is an important current challenge.Traditional Ayurvedic medicine has suggested the use of Mucuna pruriens Linn. (Fabaceae) as ananti-Parkinson’s […]
