Dopamine by Leila Burridge and Emily Little

Dopamine and It’s Uses ●Neurotransmitter ●Helps transmit signals in brain and other vital areas ●Found in humans and animals, including vertebrates and invertebrates ●Mainly inhibitory ●Involved in voluntary movement, learning, arousal, and feelings of pleasure ●Strongly determines motivation

Dopamine Production in the Brain ●Produced naturally in the body ●Found in the regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, motivation and the feeling of pleasure ●Produced in the dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) ●Produced in the substantia nigra pars compacta ●Produced in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus

What causes an Excess of Dopamine? Internal Causes: ●High levels of stress ●Sleep quantity and quality ●Food External Causes: ●Medications ●Drug abuse of drugs such as cocaine and amphetamines can lead to drug-induced psychosis and schizophrenia ●Nicotine

Effects of Excess Dopamine in Brain ●Weak-willed, impulsive behaviour ●Need for instant gratification ●Lack of motivation ●High levels of dopamine are found in patients with AD/HD ●Suspicious personality, paranoia, withdrawal from social situations

What causes a Dopamine Deficiency? Dopamine levels drop due to ●Stress ●Certain Antidepressants ●Drug and Alcohol use ●Poor nutrition ●Lack of Sleep ●Excessive Caffeine intake ●Excessive Sugar intake

Effects of Dopamine Deficiency Lack of Dopamine in the brain can cause ●Onset of Parkinson's Disease ●Restless Leg Syndrome ●Creativity ●Sleep Problems ●Depression ●Trouble Focusing

Arvid Carlsson ●Researched dopamine extensively in the late 1950’s. ●Showed that dopamine was a neurotransmitter in the brain and not just a precursor of norepinephrine. ●Discovered that a lack of dopamine in some areas of the brain could disrupt pathways among nerves that control movement and motor functions. ●This causes Parkinson’s disease. ●Parkinson’s disease symptoms: tremors, rigid muscles, speech changes, etc. ●Carlsson developed a drug called levadopa (L-dopa) to treat Parkinson’s disease. ●L-dopa transforms into dopamine in the brain and helps to relieve Parkinson’s symptoms.

Bibliography ● ● ● dopamine-levels/ dopamine-levels/ ● ● ● dopamine_.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask#page=5http:// dopamine_.html?ref=Track2&utm_source=ask#page=5 ●Haralambos, Michael, and David Rice. Psychology in Focus. Ormskirk: Causeway, Print.Haralambos, Michael, and David Rice. Psychology in Focus. Ormskirk: Causeway, Print.

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