Dopamine, hippocampus and psychiatric diseases: Clarifying their relationships
- Date:
- April 3, 2014
- Source:
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Summary:
- The role that dopamine plays in a region of the brain called the hippocampus has been demonstrated for the first time. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a central role in brain function, and many mental illnesses involve an imbalance in this chemical. Research has shown in particular that dopamine is present in the hippocampus -- the brain area associated with memory and learning -- and that it plays a key role in this region.
- Share:
Bruno Giros, PhD, a researcher at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, has demonstrated, for the first time, the role that dopamine plays in a region of the brain called the hippocampus. Published in Biological Psychiatry, this discovery opens the door to a better understanding of psychiatric diseases, such as schizophrenia.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a central role in brain function, and many mental illnesses involve an imbalance in this chemical. What Bruno Giros has shown in particular is that dopamine is present in the hippocampus -- the brain area associated with memory and learning -- and that it plays a key role in this region.
"Our work helps us better understand some of the symptoms of schizophrenia for which the cause in the brain was unknown, particularly in the area of memory and learning. In a few years, this research could help researchers come up with new therapeutic approaches to improve these symptoms," explained Bruno Giros.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Douglas Mental Health University Institute. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
- Jill Rocchetti, Elsa Isingrini, Gregory Dal Bo, Sara Sagheby, Aurore Menegaux, François Tronche, Daniel Levesque, Luc Moquin, Alain Gratton, Tak Pan Wong, Marcelo Rubinstein, Bruno Giros. Presynaptic D2 Dopamine Receptors Control LTD Expression and Memory Processes in the Temporal Hippocampus. Biological Psychiatry, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.03.013
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