Dopamine is a brain chemical that is often called the ‘molecule of hapiness’. Its is crucial for positive feelings such as feeling motivated and rewarded. But when the balance is off and there is either too much or too little dopamine there are risks of addiction, hallucinations and delusions.
Understanding how dopamine works helps explain why people feel motivated and rewarded. It also reveals what happens in the brain during mental health problems like addiction and psychosis. This knowledge warns against the dangers of drugs that disrupt dopamine balance.
In her TED talk, Franciska de Beer uncovers how this single brain chemical dopamine drives our motivation, shapes mental health, and interacts with the medications we rely on. Franciska de Beer is a neuroscientist at the University Medical Center Groningen. She studies antipsychotic medication for psychosis, the dopamine system, and women's health. Franciska is a guest curator in the exhibition Brainstorm on how our brain works and is the initiator of the project Science on Wednesday, which illustrates neuroscience with artworks.
To learn more about the brain and dopamine, visit the exhibition Brainstorm in the University Museum Groningen. Or visit Science on Wednesday for interesting facts about your brain. Discovered by research in Groningen from the UMCG and University of Groningen.
