Huberman Lab

Dr. Robert Malenka: How Your Brain’s Reward Circuits Drive Your Choices

1110 snips
Jul 10, 2023
Guest
Robert Malenka
In this discussion, Dr. Robert Malenka, a leading neurobiologist at Stanford, unpacks how our brain's reward systems drive choices. He dives into the roles of dopamine and serotonin in behavior, motivation, and social connections. Malenka elucidates the impact of neuroplasticity on addiction and how context can hijack reward systems. He also explores empathy's biological roots and the potential therapeutic effects of substances like MDMA on social behavior and autism, shedding light on the fascinating interplay between neuroscience and our daily choices.
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INSIGHT

Dopamine's Role

  • Dopamine signals important stimuli, motivating repeated behavior for survival.
  • It's released during rewarding and aversive events, connecting to arousal and memory systems.
INSIGHT

Contextual Dopamine

  • Dopamine release is context-dependent, influenced by cues, memories, and internal states like hunger.
  • The brain rapidly modifies reward responses, even from one moment to the next, explaining shifts in perception.
ANECDOTE

Thanksgiving Dopamine Shift

  • Thanksgiving smells are initially appetitive but become aversive after overeating.
  • This demonstrates how context and internal state modify reward circuitry responses to identical stimuli.
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