The basal ganglia have been associated with processes of reinforcement learning. A strong line of supporting evidence comes from the recording of dopamine (DA) neurones in behaving monkeys. Unpredicted, biologically salient events, including rewards cause a stereotypic short-latency (70-100 ms), short-duration (100-200 ms) burst of DA activity - the phasic response. This response is widely cons...

INTRODUCTIONS: It is well understood that dopamine (DA) has an action in the brain as a neurotransmitter and neuromodulator. However, little is known about the roles of DA in the spinal cord. The periventricular, posterior region (A11) of the hypothalamus is the principle source of descending dopaminergic pathways. Focal electrical stimulation in the region of the A11 area suppresses the nocice...

According to reductionism, every complex phenomenon can and should be explained in terms of the simplest possible entities and mechanisms. The parts determine the whole. This approach has been an outstanding success in science, but this essay will point out ways in which it could nevertheless be giving us wrong ideas and holding back progress. For example, it may be impossible to understand key...

People automatically imitate observed actions, including speech. Automatic Imitation (AI) is linked to observationexecution associations in the mirror neuron system (MNS). AI is measured using interference tasks, in which prompts (say ”ba” or ”da”) are paired with congruent or incongruent distracters (video of someone saying ”ba” or ”da”). Faster responses for congruent than for incongruent pro...

OBJECTIVE To analyze the meanings produced in the Health Surveillance actions for tuberculosis control, carried out by healthcare professionals in Mozambique. METHOD Qualitative study using the theoretical and methodological framework of the French Discourse Analysis. RESULTS A total of 15 healthcare professionals with more than one year of experience in disease control actions participated...

This study examined the knowledge of nursing students in regard to using antidepressant medication and proposes actions such that nurses contribute to a safe and effective antidepressant therapy. This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted in a public nursing school in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, between March and November 2008. Fifty-two (19%) out of the 273 participants were ...