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The findings also have implications for disorders involving dopamine and serotonin dysfunction, such as addiction, where dopaminergic hypersensitivity and serotonergic deficits contribute to compulsive reward-seeking -- and in mood disorders including depression and anxiety, where diminished serotonin signaling might impair behavioral flexibility and long-term planning.

"A future direction would be to understand what exactly these myelin-forming cells are responding to that comes from the activity of dopaminergic neurons," Yalcin said.

This finding may be especially important given that axial symptoms, such as gait or postural stability problems, typically do not respond well to DBS and existing dopaminergic therapies, such as levodopa.

Dr. Edlow explains, "Our connectivity results suggest that stimulation of the ventral tegmental area's dopaminergic pathways has the potential to help patients recover from coma because this hub node is connected to many regions of the brain that are critical to consciousness."

The researchers used an antibody to selectively activate a receptor in a molecular signaling pathway to develop dopaminergic neurons.