Page 11 - Course 3 Neurobiology Series Part 1 Brain Best
P. 11
Dopamine
▪ Flows when you succeed. It’s the feeling ‘I got it!’
▪ Often known as the ‘reward chemical’ – it keeps us
coming back for more.
▪ It is even stronger as an anticipatory chemical – it is
released even at the thought of getting something.
▪ Dopamine levels peak in adolescence. Some
neuroscientists also believe the dopamine is
‘supercharged’ during adolescence.
▪ It can cause young people to be impulsive: the pull of
the reward is so strong and quick that the pre-frontal
cortex does not have time to engage and act
rationally.
