Washington State University researchers have discovered how a neural circuit – or a connection between two brain regions – drives relapse after opioid use, a finding that could lead to more effective treatments for opioid use disorders.

The brain-chemical surge that comes with running may bolster coordination and speed in the old and young alike, a new study of middle-aged mice shows. Such physical activity may help restore ease of movement and agility, which often decline as humans and animals get older, the study authors said.

A new finding from researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center shows that the learning process of associating cues with rewards can be altered by increased or decreased activity of a specific protein in the brain. Knowing when to respond positively to cues that result in beneficial outcomes or rewards vs. ignoring cues that result in bad habits, such as smoking addiction, is an essential part of learned behaviors.

A new computational approach can uncover gene interactions that influence complex human traits. Using large genome-trait datasets, researchers found that genetic background significantly changes how individual variants affect traits.