Dopamine

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the role dopamine plays in pleasure and motivation, thinking, schizophrenia, psychosis and Parkinson's Disease, all of which are related to insufficient or overabundance of dopamine in the brain. L-Dopa and its role in crossing the blood-brain barrier is also briefly mentioned.

From the Paper:

"Dopamine is a chemical compound found in the brains of all humans, produced naturally by the body. It is a neurotransmitter produced by the hypothalamus and plays a major role in several important physiological and psychological aspects of human development. Dopamine has at least five different receptors and four major pathways through the brain, all of which indicate different functions in the body (Blum; "Dopamine"). This paper will look at some of those functions and roles that dopamine plays, and discuss some of the more important aspects in psychological development and pathology. One of the more recently understood roles of dopamine is that it plays an important role in the creation of desire and motivation, the wanting something or wanting to do something, not just sexual desire, although it does affect that as well. "

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