Imagine that dopamine—the hormone of satisfaction, love, and affection—is released at the snap of your fingers. Now this fantasy may well become a reality. Scientists are in full swing exploring the development, which allows you to stimulate the pleasure center in the brain at a distance.
Scientists from the Wu Cai Institute of Neurology at Stanford University have developed the first non-invasive technology to stimulate neurons in the brain. Their study is published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. «Around the world».
For example, they introduced TRPV1, a heat-sensitive protein that also responds to the burning of chili peppers and infrared radiation, into the pleasure center in the brains of laboratory mice. Thanks to this, scientists have a unique opportunity to influence the modified cells by passing infrared light through the skull.
In one experiment, they placed a near-infrared laser over one of the three branches of the maze. As a result, mice «addicted» to invisible infrared light, which stimulates their dopamine neurons, which are responsible for feelings of satisfaction, as well as love and affection.
So, the rodents spent almost all their time in the labyrinth under its rays and even lined up
A study by specialists confirmed that the new technology allows stimulating brain neurons without damaging the scalp and skull. In addition, non-invasive intervention makes it possible to study the behavior of laboratory animals in their familiar environment.
“Mice, like humans, are a social species, but studying the natural behavior of an animal in a group with the help of a complex head-mounted structure is a difficult task,” explained Gosong Hoon, one of the authors of the study. “Our approach allows us to simply shine infrared light on a mouse enclosure to study the contribution of specific neurons to the behavior of the animal.”
Scientists plan to improve the technique to make it easier and more accessible.
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