A neurohormone; precursor to norepinephrine which acts as a stimulant to the nervous system. Carries signals between neurons and controls feelings of satisfaction, arousal, reward and mood.

	Addictions / Addictive Tendencies The Condition "...Causes & Development; Risk Factors Most researchers believe that addictions are centered around the effect that addictive drugs have on dopamine levels in the brain..." Adrenal Medulla Related Topic "The inner part of the adrenals, derived embryonically from spinal nerve precursors, they secrete epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine; used locally as neurotransmitters, sensitive receptors can be mobilized totally by the adrenal medullas..." Cocaine Addiction Our Question about severity of chest pain "Cocaine induces a feeling of well-being by raising dopamine levels in the brain, but also increases blood pressure and causes blood vessels to contract..." Relationship to Parkinson's Disease "Some researchers believe that cocaine could spark the early onset of Parkinson's disease by causing the body to exhaust its supply of dopamine prematurely..." Copper Related Topic "...The best studied are superoxide dismutase (SOD), cytochrome C oxidase, catalase, dopamine hydroxylase, uricase, tryptophan dioxygenase, lecithinase and other monoamine and diamine oxidases..." Depression Relationship to Vitamin B6 Requirement "B6 is a cofactor for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin and for the synthesis of dopamine and norepinephrine..." Recommendation L-Tyrosine "Particular precursors such as tyrosine, which increases dopamine and noradrenaline, show beneficial results in the treatment of mild depression..." Elevated Homocysteine Levels Relationship to Depression "...The methyl group provided by normal homocysteine metabolism is necessary for the production of depression-relieving neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine..." Hyperprolactinemia The Condition "...For prolactin, however, the signal works in reverse: An increase in the hypothalamic hormone dopamine tells the pituitary to stop releasing prolactin..." Insomnia Recommendation GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate) "...Some have called this pattern the "dawn effect" and have speculated that it is related to the release of stored dopamine..." Low HGH (Human Growth Hormone) Recommendation GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate) "...Dopamine activity in the hypothalamus is known to stimulate pituitary release of growth hormone, but GHB inhibits dopamine release at the same time that it stimulates GH release..." L-Tyrosine As A Treatment "...Tyrosine is a precursor to dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenalin (epinephrine)..." Monoamine Oxidase Related Topic "An enzyme catalyzing the removal of an amine group from a variety of substrates, including norepinephrine and dopamine..." NADH As A Treatment "...Reports that NADH may stimulate endogenous dopamine biosynthesis have led to its experimental use in Parkinson's disease..." Parkinson's Disease The Condition "...The loss of dopamine production affects the balance between dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain with the result that messages to the muscles become garbled..." Related Topic "...It is characterized pathologically by loss of dopamine in the substantia nigra..." Our Question about ecstacy use "Some researchers believe that ecstasy use could lead to early onset of Parkinson's disease by causing the body to exhaust its supply of dopamine prematurely..." Recommendation Conventional Drug Use "Conventional medical treatment relies heavily on l-dopa (levo-dihydroxy-phenylalanine), a dopamine precursor that can cross the blood-brain barrier and is converted to dopamine in the brain..." Poor Sense of Humor The Condition "...showed that, in addition to activating areas of the brain involved in language processing, humor also stimulated regions of the brain known as reward centers, such as the amygdala, which releases dopamine..." Premenstrual Syndrome PMS A (Anxiety) The Condition "...These enzymes are involved in the oxidation of biogenic amines - norepinephrine, epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin - which have significant effects on mood and behavior..." Rhodiola rosea (Roseroot) As A Treatment "...Function; Reasons For Use Rhodiola rosea's effects are attributed to its ability to optimise serotonin and dopamine levels and to its influence on opioid peptides such as beta-endorphins..." S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) As A Treatment "...Serotonin, adrenalin, melatonin and dopamine are but a few of these substances that are produced because of SAMe and its effect on methylation..." Schizophrenia Related Topic "...Schizophrenia is associated with dopamine imbalances in the brain and defects of the frontal lobe and is caused by genetic, other biological, and psychosocial factors..." Selegiline As A Treatment "...Selegiline blocks the enzyme monoamine oxidase type B, which forms one of the metabolic pathways for dopamine in the brain..." St John's Wort As A Treatment "...When researchers measured urinary metabolites of noradrenaline and dopamine following administration of St..."

Last updated: Nov 14, 2009