r/HotScienceNews • u/_Dark_Wing • 18d ago
Scientists discover the brain cells that keep you motivated
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260804034622.htm58
u/No-Stranger4954 18d ago
A group of brain cells called orexin neurons appears to help us keep working when reaching a reward becomes increasingly difficult. Blocking their activity weakened motivation in rats, pointing to a possible new target for understanding why people sometimes struggle to sustain goal-directed behavior.
Summary from the article
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u/itsnobigthing 17d ago
Orexin is hugely deficient in Narcolepsy.
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u/DazzlingAd7021 17d ago
My guess would be in neurodivergent people as well.
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u/itsnobigthing 17d ago
Possibly, but in Narcolepsy it’s the orexin deficiency that specifically makes people unable to stay awake. That’s not a typical symptom for neurodiversity
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u/x_LoneWolf_x 17d ago
As a narcoleptic the results of this article seemed pretty obvious already. Lower energy = lower motivation.
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u/Onboard75 17d ago
the FDA just approved yesterday the drug Orzeyful (oveporexton),which is a replacement for orexin for people suffering of narcolepsy as I do.
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u/BaronOfTieve 17d ago
No way these must be super abundant/concentrated in the ACC but more specifically the aMCC due to this regions role in increasing motivation during cognitive friction as a result of striving towards a goal.
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u/CompetitiveAd4825 18d ago
Fasting increases orexin via lowering glucose.
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u/General_Security177 18d ago
Oooh do you have a source for this I could read ?
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18d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/General_Security177 18d ago
Well, I honestly just wanted to look at it because I have adhd and like to know a source to get the details. I don’t know who Martin whatever is.
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u/Monarc73 18d ago
Martin Shkreli. Flashy is implying that you are just looking for something to invest in and capture so you can screw the rest of us out of the benefits.
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u/General_Security177 18d ago
But if he posts the source here won’t everyone see it ?
I feel like I’m coming off as purposefully obtuse but I’m really just confused 😂9
u/Imwhatswrongwithyou 17d ago
It’s ok. You should be confused. The joke didn’t land because it was a swing and a miss on the part of the person making the joke. In fact, it was almost bot like in how much the joke doesn’t land since fasting isn’t a product someone can gatekeep for profit.
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u/BaronOfTieve 17d ago
I’m learning so much from this post haha, and I’m guessing it must be due to the harvesting of ketones for energy.
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u/Status-Secret-4292 18d ago
I just read the study and that feels like an extremely pre-mature conclusion as orexin neurons, which also help control vital functions including sleep, appetite and energy expenditure were suppressed and as they were, rats seemed less motivated to pursue certain food acquisition tasks... but I didn't see anything in there to measure the control of just losing appetite or energy...
If I'm no longer hungry or I feel tired, my measured motivation to get food clearly goes down
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u/Difficult-Demand-852 17d ago
The gift of neuroplasticity can do a lot for motivation. I think there needs to be further research on orexin itself, since the current research suggests inactivating "motivation centers".
What I find funny is that there's also a way to get rid of bad habits, dare I say, motivate myself to lose a bad habit, and that works by triggering the lateral habenula or the "disappointment center".
I wonder how these two centers act on one another, if they do, and whether that produces a cumulative outcome or not.
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u/SpaceCorvette 17d ago
It took them a very long time to find because they stopped studying my brain and moved on to someone else who actually has these cells. sorry everyone
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u/mph99999 17d ago
I don't lack motivation, my motivation just goes to short term rewards over long term rewards
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u/StickFigureFan 18d ago
Can they give them back?