Summary: New research shows that stimulating dopamine cells in the substantia nigra makes mice feel as if time is moving faster.
Dopamine neurons in a brain region known as the substantia nigra pars compacta can alter the perception of time, according to new research published in Science in December. Stimulating or inhibiting these cells makes mice behave as if time is moving faster or slower, the researchers found. More specifically, boosting dopamine activity slows down the animals’ internal clock, leading them to underestimate time intervals. The study — the first to look so precisely at dopamine activity during timing judgments — provides a potential molecular mechanism for the perception that ‘time flies when you’re having fun.’