Israeli researchers revealed that activating dopamine neurons in the brain’s reward system could improve heart attack recovery, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion).
In a new study published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, Technion researchers investigated how the brain’s reward system, a collection of neuron structures responsible for pleasure, motivation, and positive expectation, has the potential to improve recovery from acute myocardial infarction (AMI), also known as a heart attack.
The researchers found that after a heart attack, stimulating the release of dopamine in a brain area responsible for processing sensory information and controlling reward-motivated behaviors reduces myocardial fibrosis, increases blood vessel formation, and improves cardiac performance.
The effects were mediated by alterations in immunological activity and decreased adrenergic input to the liver. The scientists also revealed an anatomical connection between the reward system and the liver, as well as how this relationship influences the production of an immune protein in the liver, which impacts cardiac recovery.
The study’s findings indicate a causal link between the reward system and AMI recovery, opening up new therapeutic paths for intervention, according to the Technion. It was highlighted that the reported effect on mice might potentially be replicated in humans using accessible, non-invasive ways to actively engage the reward system, such as pharmaceutical therapies, biofeedback, and focused ultrasound.
As a result, the Technion researchers’ scientific discovery may have significant future ramifications for the treatment of heart attacks.
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