Dopamine

Dopamine is a hormone and neurotransmitter occurring in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five types of dopamine receptors — D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5, and their variants. Dopamine is produced in several areas of the brain, including the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area. Dopamine is also a neurohormone released by the hypothalamus. Its main function as a hormone is to inhibit the release of prolactin from the anterior lobe of the pituitary. Dopamine has many functions in the brain, including important roles in behavior and cognition, motor activity, motivation and reward, inhibition of prolactin production (involved in lactation), sleep, mood, attention, and learning. Dopaminergic neurons (i.e., neurons whose primary neurotransmitter is dopamine) are present chiefly in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of the midbrain, substantia nigra pars compacta, and arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus.

What is Dopamine?

Discover how dopamine shapes our thoughts, emotions, and movements, and why unlocking its secrets could transform treatments for some of the most challenging brain disorders.

How Brain Cells Talk: Inside the Complex Language of the Human Mind

The Reward System and Autism

Is Dopamine Detoxing Actually Backed by Science?

Addiction and Dopamine

Role of Dopamine in Pain

Dopamine Functions

What are Neurotransmitters?

GABA Activation and Dopamine Suppression

Dopamine Biochemistry

Dopamine and Psychosis

Dopamine Therapeutic Use

Latest Dopamine News and Research

Gut-brain dopamine pathway drives learned food preferences over time

If you can remember your first sip of coffee, the memory might not be a pleasant one. Coffee's bitter flavor is one we naturally steer clear of. So how do coffee fans learn to love it?

4 Nov 2026

Why you still want dessert even when you're completely full

A 2026 narrative review examines how food liking (pleasure) and wanting (motivation) interact with hunger and satiety to influence food choices, explaining why certain foods may remain appealing even after a satisfying meal. The authors report that food reward can change independently of hunger under specific conditions, but evidence remains limited that these changes reliably predict subsequent eating or improve weight-management outcomes.

1 Nov 2026

Excessive exercise disrupts dopamine regulation in the brain, study finds

Excessive physical exercise affects more than just the muscles; it can also alter brain chemistry. A new study published in the journal Neuroscience revealed that exhaustive training without adequate rest alters the regulation of dopamine in the hippocampus, a brain region closely linked to memory and the regulation of emotions.

30 Oct 2026

Adrenaline and dopamine help explain the thrill of being scared

Monsters, bloodcurdling screams, howling ghosts, and being chased by a chainsaw-wielding stranger are elements that make a great night out for many people.

27 Oct 2026

Women in perimenopause report more anxiety than other menopausal groups

Researchers reviewed 21 studies involving 24,523 women and found that perimenopausal and postmenopausal women had higher odds of reporting anxiety symptoms than premenopausal women. Their meta-analysis of 15 studies found the highest odds during perimenopause, but the cross-sectional evidence cannot establish that menopause causes anxiety.

25 Oct 2026

Hunger may drive the propensity to develop alcohol addiction

Researchers at Brown University have discovered a molecular link between hunger and the formation of "reward" memories that play a role in alcohol addiction.

20 Oct 2026

FDA approves new Parkinson’s drug pioneered by UVA scientists

The federal Food and Drug Administration has approved a new Parkinson's disease drug that was based on research by UVA Health scientists.

13 Oct 2026

Year-long trial finds NAD-boosting supplement fails to improve early Parkinson's symptoms

In a phase 3 randomized clinical trial involving 410 people with early Parkinson disease, 52 weeks of nicotinamide riboside supplementation increased blood NAD levels but failed to improve clinical outcomes compared with placebo. Participants receiving the supplement had modestly worse overall disease scores, although the difference was below the threshold generally considered clinically meaningful.

12 Oct 2026

Nicotinamide riboside fails to slow progression of early Parkinson’s disease

A major clinical trial involving 410 people with early Parkinson's disease has found no clinical benefit from nicotinamide riboside (NR), a compound that increases cellular levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). The findings are published in JAMA.

8 Oct 2026

Study uncovers a protective role for microglia in Parkinson's disease

Researchers at the University of Oxford have uncovered a previously unrecognized protective role for microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, in Parkinson's disease.

7 Oct 2026

Managing misfolded proteins to prevent Parkinson’s disease

The protein alpha-synuclein is abundant in healthy brains and plays an important role in enabling communication between nerve cells. However, under certain conditions, misfolded alpha-synuclein proteins can accumulate into toxic clumps inside neurons

6 Oct 2026

Electronic sensor detects early Parkinson’s markers in blood

Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in collaboration with the University of Oxford have developed a blood-based electronic sensor capable of detecting molecular signatures associated with Parkinson’s disease.

6 Oct 2026

Specialized immune cells bridge the nervous and immune systems

A collaborative team led by Professor Jie Zhou at Tianjin Medical University School of Basic Medicine and Professor Qiang Liu at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital published a comprehensive review in Volume 2 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation on September 8, 2026.

25 Sep 2026

Scientists discover the molecular mechanism behind instantaneous memory formation

The National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT, President: OHNO Hideo, Ph.D.) has discovered molecular mechanism of synaptic facilitation, instantaneous strengthening of synaptic transmission, which may be physiological basis of instantaneous memory.

24 Sep 2026

Cutting ultra-processed foods may improve symptoms of depression

A preliminary study led by UC San Francisco adds to growing evidence that reducing ultra-processed food may improve symptoms of depression.

23 Sep 2026

Retinal dopamine levels rise during inherited retinal degeneration

A new study by researchers at the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) reports changes in the dopamine system of the retina during inherited retinal degeneration.

22 Sep 2026

New brain circuit discovery offers hope for panic disorder treatments

Our survival depends on brains that constantly search for danger and, if found, stay alert until it has passed.

21 Sep 2026

Flatworm genes reveal secrets to regrowing damaged brain cells

The human brain is terrible at healing itself from injury or disease. But some animals can harness their own cellular abilities to not only repair injuries but also to regrow their brains entirely.

21 Sep 2026

Cold plunges may boost your mood, but the evidence is still on thin ice

A Molecular Psychiatry review examined evidence linking cold exposure with mood and mental health outcomes, alongside proposed roles for catecholamines, the HPA axis, and immune-inflammatory pathways. Early studies report short-term mood improvements and physiological changes, but clinical evidence remains limited, and the proposed mechanisms have not been established as drivers of lasting psychiatric benefits.

16 Sep 2026

Study links missing brain protein to ADHD-like behaviors

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can affect attention, activity levels, and impulse control, with symptoms often beginning in childhood and sometimes continuing into adulthood.

16 Sep 2026