Bipolar disorder is a mental illness characterized by extreme mood swings, including episodes of mania, elevated mood, euphoria, depression, or a low mood. It affects 1 in every 5 adults in the United States. It is characterized by cycles of high and low moods, which can be severe enough to interfere with daily life. People…
The brain reward system or mesocorticolimbic circuit is a brain circuit that controls addictive behaviors, mood, feeding behaviors, positive emotions (e.g., pleasure), and learning [1]. 1. What Activates the Reward System? The reward system is activated every time we experience something rewarding. For instance, the reward system is triggered when eating something we really enjoy…
The gut flora (microbiota) plays an important role in human health through their metabolic function in breaking down ingested food to provide nutrients to cells and organs of the body. Among the metabolic products that are generated by the gut flora, proteins are critical for the function of the nervous system, such as serotonin, which…
