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.

What are Neurotransmitters?

GABA Activation and Dopamine Suppression

Role of Dopamine in Pain

Dopamine Therapeutic Use

Dopamine and Psychosis

Is Dopamine Detoxing Actually Backed by Science?

The Reward System and Autism

Dopamine Biochemistry

Dopamine Functions

Addiction and Dopamine

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

Latest Dopamine News and Research

Cannabidiol shows promise for obesity and metabolic syndrome

Cannabidiol (CBD) shows promise in regulating appetite, glucose and lipid metabolism, and inflammation in preclinical models of obesity and metabolic syndrome. However, human evidence is still limited, highlighting the need for rigorous trials before clinical use.

29 Sep 2025

Optogenetics and artificial intelligence open path to personalized Parkinson’s treatment

Globally recognized figures like Muhammad Ali and Michael J. Fox have long suffered from Parkinson's disease. The disease presents a complex set of motor symptoms, including tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia, and postural instability.

26 Sep 2025

Scientists explore how dopamine shapes myelin in social isolation

Scientists know that social isolation can alter brain structure and lead to the breakdown of myelin, the fatty coating that insulates nerve fibers in the brain. But they don't yet know exactly how or why it happens.

25 Sep 2025

Lab-grown mini brains reveal neural misfires linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder

Pea-sized brains grown in a lab have for the first time revealed the unique way neurons might misfire due to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, psychiatric ailments that affect millions of people worldwide but are difficult to diagnose because of the lack of understanding of their molecular basis.

22 Sep 2025

Best foods to boost happiness after 50, according to new UK study

Older adults who ate more fruits, vegetables, and fish showed higher well-being, especially eudemonic well-being and happiness, in a large UK study. However, most diet–well-being links weakened after accounting for mood, health, and socioeconomic factors.

16 Sep 2025

Semaglutide may one day be used to treat cocaine addiction

A drug already prescribed for type 2 diabetes and obesity may one day be used to treat cocaine addiction. In animal studies, researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, found that semaglutide reduced both cocaine use and relapse.

5 Sep 2025

Weight loss medication semaglutide reduces cocaine seeking behavior in animal study

Scientists have found that the diabetes/weight loss drug Semaglutide, sold commercially under brand names like Ozempic and Wegovy, significantly reduces cocaine-seeking behaviour in rats.

4 Sep 2025

New neurochemical signature distinguishes Parkinson’s disease from essential tremor

Researchers have identified a neurochemical signature that sets Parkinson's disease apart from essential tremor - two of the most common movement disorders, but each linked to distinct changes in the brain.

2 Sep 2025

Chronic neuron overactivation may drive Parkinson's disease progression

Certain brain cells are responsible for coordinating smooth, controlled movements of the body. But when those cells are constantly overactivated for weeks on end, they degenerate and ultimately die.

28 Aug 2025

Gut bacteria and insomnia influence each other in small but significant ways, study shows

Scientists used Mendelian randomisation to explore the two-way relationship between gut microbiota and insomnia, analyzing GWAS data from over 386,000 individuals and two major microbiome cohorts. The study found only limited taxa surviving strict correction, suggesting small but causal links that highlight the gut–brain axis in sleep health.

21 Aug 2025

Texas Children’s successfully treats AADC deficiency using FDA-approved gene therapy

Texas Children's is pleased to announce that a three-year-old girl has been successfully treated with the first-ever FDA-approved gene therapy treatment for AADC deficiency.

19 Aug 2025

Disrupting dopamine pathway stops threadworms from burrowing into the skin

Threadworms, which are a type of parasitic nematode, spend a lot of time crawling around on human skin, poking and prodding to find the best place for entry before burrowing in.

13 Aug 2025

Study identifies a promising new strategy for treating alcohol use disorder

Researchers have identified a promising new strategy for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD). A novel study found that the dopamine-boosting drug tolcapone increases activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during self-control tasks.

13 Aug 2025

Brain’s energy control map offers blueprint for next-gen weight loss therapies

Scientists map how the brain integrates hormonal and neural signals from the body to control appetite, energy use, and reward pathways, revealing targets for next-generation anti-obesity drugs. This review highlights the interplay between neuroendocrine circuits, neuroplasticity, and pharmacotherapy for durable, non-aversive weight loss.

11 Aug 2025

Gut bacteria may connect pregnancy diet to childhood autism

Unhealthy maternal diets may alter gut microbes, impacting brain development and increasing autism risk in offspring. Study the microbiome's influence.

8 Aug 2025

Does your morning coffee or tea really boost your mood? Here’s what science says

Caffeine consumption is linked to increased positive mood in daily life, especially within 2.5 hours after waking. This effect is influenced by tiredness and social context, with no consistent impact on negative emotions.

6 Aug 2025

Impulsivity shapes diet and gut bacteria in healthy adults, study finds

Impulsivity in healthy adults is linked to unhealthy dietary choices, such as higher intake of alcohol and sugary drinks and lower fiber consumption. These dietary behaviors, in turn, are associated with changes in specific gut bacterial genera, highlighting an indirect pathway between personality traits and the gut microbiome.

4 Aug 2025

Creatine may enhance neuroprotection through energy pathways

Creatine supplementation may improve cognitive performance and mood, offering insights into its role in muscle-brain interactions and overall health.

25 Jul 2025

Anti-reward brain circuit may hold key to treating cocaine addiction

Why do so many people relapse after quitting cocaine? A new study from The Hebrew University reveals that a specific "anti-reward" brain circuit becomes hyperactive during withdrawal-driving discomfort and pushing users back toward the drug.

23 Jul 2025

Social media use linked to declining focus and emotional strain in youth

The use of social media is contributing to declining attention spans, emotional volatility, and compulsive behaviors among young people, reveals a new report by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Singapore-based research agency Research Network, in collaboration with US-based AI platform ListenLabs.ai.

18 Jul 2025