dopamine hypothesis

• Who proposed the original dopamine hypothesis in 1976?

  Snyder
• What does the dopamine hypothesis suggest about the role of dopamine in schizophrenia?

  It suggests that messages from neurons that transmit dopamine are linked to schizophrenia.
• What is the primary cause of schizophrenia according to the dopamine hypothesis?

  Abnormally high levels of dopamine in dopamine receptors.
• What term is used to describe high levels of dopamine?

  Hyperdopaminergia
• What positive symptom of schizophrenia may be caused by hyperdopaminergia?

  Auditory hallucinations
• What are the three strands of evidence for the dopamine hypothesis?

  • Parkinson's disease
  • Amphetamines
  • Antipsychotics
• How do antipsychotic drugs relate to dopamine activity in the brain?

  They block the activity of dopamine by reducing stimulation of the dopamine systems.
• What symptom can occur in patients with Parkinson's disease due to dopamine blocking medications?

  Tremors
• What happens to patients with Parkinson's disease when they take dopamine agonists?

  They experience symptoms of schizophrenia.
• What does the revised dopamine hypothesis focus on?

  The nervous system and its connections to the subcortical structures.
• What are the two pathways examined in the revised dopamine hypothesis?

  Meso-cortical and mesolimbic pathways.
• What is the role of the mesolimbic pathway in schizophrenia?

  It carries signals from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens.
• What positive symptoms of schizophrenia can result from excessive dopamine activity?

  Hallucinations
• How do antipsychotic drugs affect dopamine activity in the brain?

  They reduce dopamine activity, alleviating many positive symptoms.
• What is the significance of dopamine hypofunction in the frontal lobe for schizophrenia?

  It is associated with impairments and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.