Learning
Recent articles
Dopamine ‘gas pedal’ and serotonin ‘brake’ team up to accelerate learning
Mice learn fastest and most reliably when they experience an increase in dopamine paired with an inhibition of serotonin in their nucleus accumbens, a new study shows, helping to resolve long-standing questions about the neuromodulators’ relationship.
Dopamine ‘gas pedal’ and serotonin ‘brake’ team up to accelerate learning
Mice learn fastest and most reliably when they experience an increase in dopamine paired with an inhibition of serotonin in their nucleus accumbens, a new study shows, helping to resolve long-standing questions about the neuromodulators’ relationship.
Subthalamic plasticity helps mice squelch innate fear responses
When the animals learn that a perceived threat is not dangerous, long-term activity changes in a part of the subthalamus suppress their instinctive fears.
Subthalamic plasticity helps mice squelch innate fear responses
When the animals learn that a perceived threat is not dangerous, long-term activity changes in a part of the subthalamus suppress their instinctive fears.
The Transmitter’s favorite essays and columns of 2024
From sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease to enduring citation bias, experts weighed in on important scientific and practical issues in neuroscience.
The Transmitter’s favorite essays and columns of 2024
From sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease to enduring citation bias, experts weighed in on important scientific and practical issues in neuroscience.
The Transmitter’s favorite podcasts of 2024
Our picks include a deep dive into dopamine, the role of PKMzeta in memory, and studying the stomatogastric ganglion.
The Transmitter’s favorite podcasts of 2024
Our picks include a deep dive into dopamine, the role of PKMzeta in memory, and studying the stomatogastric ganglion.
Say what? The Transmitter’s top quotes of 2024
“We’ve cured mouse-heimer’s thousands of times...”—find out who said this to a Transmitter reporter, and read our other favorite quotes from the past year.
Say what? The Transmitter’s top quotes of 2024
“We’ve cured mouse-heimer’s thousands of times...”—find out who said this to a Transmitter reporter, and read our other favorite quotes from the past year.
Vijay Namboodiri and Ali Mohebi on the evolving story of dopamine’s role in cognitive function
Researchers discuss the classic stories of dopamine’s role in learning, ongoing work linking it to a wide variety of cognitive functions, and recent research suggesting that dopamine may help us "look back" to discover the causes of events in the world.
Vijay Namboodiri and Ali Mohebi on the evolving story of dopamine’s role in cognitive function
Researchers discuss the classic stories of dopamine’s role in learning, ongoing work linking it to a wide variety of cognitive functions, and recent research suggesting that dopamine may help us "look back" to discover the causes of events in the world.
Reconstructing dopamine’s link to reward
The field is grappling with whether to modify the long-standing theory of reward prediction error—or abandon it entirely.
Reconstructing dopamine’s link to reward
The field is grappling with whether to modify the long-standing theory of reward prediction error—or abandon it entirely.
Neural-network analysis posits how brains build skills
Discrete computational subunits may offer mix-and-match motifs for cognition.
Neural-network analysis posits how brains build skills
Discrete computational subunits may offer mix-and-match motifs for cognition.
Can an emerging field called ‘neural systems understanding’ explain the brain?
This mashup of neuroscience, artificial intelligence and even linguistics and philosophy of mind aims to crack the deep question of what "understanding" is, however un-brain-like its models may be.
Can an emerging field called ‘neural systems understanding’ explain the brain?
This mashup of neuroscience, artificial intelligence and even linguistics and philosophy of mind aims to crack the deep question of what "understanding" is, however un-brain-like its models may be.
Some minimally verbal autistic people show signs of written-language familiarity, study suggests
But researchers not involved in the work worry the findings could be used to support discredited facilitated-communication techniques.
Some minimally verbal autistic people show signs of written-language familiarity, study suggests
But researchers not involved in the work worry the findings could be used to support discredited facilitated-communication techniques.
Explore more from The Transmitter
Neuroscience Ph.D. programs adjust admissions in response to U.S. funding uncertainty
Some departments plan to shrink class sizes by 25 to 40 percent, and others may inadvertently accept more students than they can afford, according to the leaders of 21 top U.S. programs.
Neuroscience Ph.D. programs adjust admissions in response to U.S. funding uncertainty
Some departments plan to shrink class sizes by 25 to 40 percent, and others may inadvertently accept more students than they can afford, according to the leaders of 21 top U.S. programs.
Keeping it personal: How to preserve your voice when using AI
To harness the workmanlike prose of artificial intelligence while maintaining a recognizable style, use it as an analyzer rather than as a writer.
Keeping it personal: How to preserve your voice when using AI
To harness the workmanlike prose of artificial intelligence while maintaining a recognizable style, use it as an analyzer rather than as a writer.
Null and Noteworthy, relaunched: Probing a schizophrenia biomarker
This edition of Null and Noteworthy—the first for The Transmitter—highlights new findings about the auditory steady-state response in people with schizophrenia that, all within one study, somehow packed in a null result and a failed replication.
Null and Noteworthy, relaunched: Probing a schizophrenia biomarker
This edition of Null and Noteworthy—the first for The Transmitter—highlights new findings about the auditory steady-state response in people with schizophrenia that, all within one study, somehow packed in a null result and a failed replication.