Serotonin simply changes how people respond to negative information and how they learn, as shown in a study published in the journal Neuroscience. Nature Communication.
Fifty people participated in the study. Before taking the tests, half of them were given a drug that increased their serotonin levels, while the rest were not. They were given tasks to assess learning, memory and emotions.
Increased serotonin levels allowed people to better control their behavior, especially when faced with failure (such as losing money in a game), but their response to positive events (such as winning money) remained unchanged. Increased serotonin levels also improved several types of memory.
The study showed that serotonin plays a key role in responding to negative information rather than reinforcing positive information. The scientists’ results will help better understand the causes of depression.
“Serotonin is often called the ‘happiness hormone’, but perhaps it is time to think of it as the ‘not-so-bad hormone’,” the scientists wrote.
Earlier scientists I learnedThis stress destroys the brain’s ability to resist dementia.
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Source: Gazeta
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