Dopamine is essential for motivation and movement, and its release is triggered by novelty and anticipation.
The prefrontal cortex controls how much and when dopamine is released in the brain.
Dopamine is responsible for both pleasure and addiction, and a shift towards pain occurs with repeated engagement in craved behavior.
Genetic bias towards addiction affects around 15-20% of people.
Serotonin, cannabinoids, and other "here and now" molecules are responsible for contentment in the present, in contrast to dopamine, which biases us towards thinking about things we don't have.
Procrastination can be caused by either enjoying the stress of an impending deadline or not releasing enough dopamine.
To break procrastination, type 1 requires inducing epinephrine release, while type 2 requires inducing dopamine release.
Prolactin is responsible for the dopamine crash that occurs after intense pursuit of a goal, and vitamin B6 and zinc can inhibit its release.
The reward-prediction error is the difference between the actual amount of dopamine released in response to something and the amount expected.
Drugs used to treat ADD and ADHD in children, such as Adderall, have amphetamine-like properties and activate forebrain circuitry, reducing impulsivity.
