Dopamine, Active Sensing and Blood Flow with Professor David Kleinfield

Brain Explained

I’m back on track. Here is the next episode. In this episode we explore dopamine signalling in the brain. Why? Because dopamine is the main signalling compound in your brain for reward. So eat a bar of chocolate, get a new job, pass your exams and you get a dose of dopamine. But the research by Professor David Kleinfield is even more important because it shows that mice can control their release of dopamine, which might explain why we can do things that to others seem strange such as climbing mountains. That isn’t all, listen in to learn about his other research around the role of the vasculature in the brain and how senses work.

David Kleinfield lab website

The main paper

Two other interesting papers (which can be found on his website):

Ultra-slow oscillations in fMRI and resting-state connectivity: Neuronal and vascular contributions and technical confounds.

Brain microvasculature has a common topology with local differences in geometry that match metabolic load.

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