"Dopamine Distress and Obesity"
A gene variant linked to weight gain may affect dopamine signaling in the brain, making it difficult for some people to learn from negative consequences, according to a study published last week. The gene variants reduce the level of dopamine receptors in certain areas of the brain, which can alter the overall sensitivity of the reward system and resultant behavior. "You have genes that influence how tightly those systems speak to each other," said Paul Kenny, PhD, a behavioral neurobiologist at The Mount Sinai Hospital. "You don't listen to the [prefrontal cortex] because its voice isn't loud enough. There are gene variants that influence how strongly the cortex can talk to these more rudimentary systems in the brain."
- Paul Kenny, PhD, Professor, Chair, Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Experimental Therapeutics Institute
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