Carbon electrode technique tracks dopamine in the brain

Michael Cima and MIT colleagues have developed a more precise tool to measure dopamine in the brain, to be able to study its role in in learning, memory, and emotion.

The new carbon electrode based technique can cover more of the brain, and provide longer, more accurate neurotransmitter readings, than previously possible.

The goal is a better understanding of neurtransmitter related diseases, and potential therapies to boost dopamine levels, in conditions that dysregulate it, such as Parkison’s disease.

According to lead author Helen Schwerdt: “Right now deep brain stimulation is being used to treat Parkinson’s disease, and we assume that that stimulation is somehow resupplying the brain with dopamine, but no one’s really measured that.”


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