What is dopamine and what functions does it have?

Imagine for a moment that your brain is like a complex system of circuits that influence your emotions, behaviors and decisions. This is where dopamine comes into play, but what is it exactly?

dopamine It is one of the best-known neurotransmitters in our nervous system. It activates the sensation of pleasure and stimulates the brain’s reward circuits, also generating a feeling of calm and relaxation, among other relevant processes. This fascinating chemical plays an important role in regulating our behavior.

To understand this, it is essential to keep in mind that Neurotransmitters are biomolecules released at the synapses of neurons, with the mission of transmitting or altering information. In the specific case of dopamine, dopaminergic neurons carry out the release and production of this neurotransmitter.

Dopamine is synthesized through the amino acid tyrosine and accumulates in the synaptic vesicles of the axon terminals of dopaminergic neurons. These neurons are mainly found in a part of our brain called the substantia nigra. From this location, these neurons extend along different pathways, each with a different function. Wondering what purpose these pathways serve and how they work in your daily life? Read on to find out.

Dopamine is fundamental to the human experience

Indeed, We are not wrong if we say that dopamine makes us human. In fact, all of us not only need an adequate level of this neurotransmitter, but its distribution in our brain is essential to carry out a host of functions.

Dopamine, for example, It motivates us to be competitive, to defend ourselves from danger or to achieve a personal goal. It drives us to find the energy necessary to solve problems, regulates metabolism, cognition, behavior and even our mood.

In this quest to understand the impact of this neurotransmitter on our lives, we must not overlook the key role of dopamine in sexuality., desire, seduction processes, considering it as the hormone of love.

Now, let’s stop for a moment and reflect on the significance of this biological compound in our existence. It is impossible to conceive what we are without this particular and powerful neurotransmitter.

The reward system: the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway

Here are the neurons that project to the different areas of the limbic system, like the nucleus accumbens. The limbic system is the main person in charge of the emotional processes of our brain. In this context, dopamine plays important roles in various emotional behaviors.

One of these functions is the management of the brain’s reward system. According to what was surveyed by the University of Connecticut, and published in the magazine Neuronwhen we perform actions that our body values ​​as beneficial, dopamine is released in this pathway.

It is then when we experience a subjective sensation of pleasure that prompts us to repeat said behaviors. These range from those that are biologically programmed, such as quenching hunger or thirst, to those that are social and learned. But what happens when substances come into play?

Drugs set off a whirlwind in our reward circuitry, causing intense stimulation. This causes our brain to evaluate the consumption of these substances as beneficial for us, which It pushes us to repeat it and become addicted.

Decision making: mesocortical dopaminergic pathways

These pathways project to the prefrontal cortex of our brain. Which is responsible for executive skills, that is, those related to planning and decision making. Dopamine acts in this area by generating options, choosing the most appropriate one and directing us towards it.

A dopamine deficit in this brain area (as occurs in schizophrenia) causes a strong cognitive flattening. The individual stops reacting to external stimuli and seems not to be interested in anything. Other dysfunctions in this pathway are linked to disorders such as ADHD or depression.

Our motor movements: the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway

The axons of these dopaminergic neurons project to the basal ganglia of our brain. This pathway is part of the extrapyramidal nervous system, which is responsible for controlling motor movements of our body.

The Dopamine deficiency in this pathway causes movement disorders characteristic of Parkinson’s disease, manifested through rigidity, tremors or slowness in movements. On the contrary, An increase in dopaminergic activity in this area causes hyperkinetic disorders, such as chorea or tics.

Motherhood: the tuberoinfundibular dopaminergic pathway

In contrast to the other routes, this pathway does not originate in the substantia nigra, but rather It extends from the neurons of the hypothalamus to the anterior pituitary. Its main function is to regulate the release of the hormone, called prolactin: responsible for milk production after childbirth.

This pathway operates with constant activity, and dopamine is the responsible for inhibiting prolactin. However, in the postpartum period, the activity of these neurons decreases, triggering a significant release of prolactin. Consequently, the lactation process is established. Any alteration in this mechanism can lead to galactorrhea (breast discharge), amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) and sexual dysfunction.

Sleep and wakefulness: the thalamic dopaminergic pathway

The National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery demonstrated the relevance of dopamine in the control and regulation of sleep. This process is carried out through the pineal gland, an essential component in establishing the “circadian rhythm” in humans.

This function begins every day when dopamine inhibits the effects of another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine. It is at this moment that The brain relaxes and only then does the production and release of melatonin proceed. An interesting finding reveals that dopamine acts in the pineal gland towards the end of the night, just when it is darkest. Later, as daylight sets in, this neurotransmitter “awakens” the brain again.

The complexity of dopamine

Despite its popularity in relation to the sensation of pleasure and reward, dopamine performs, as we have observed, multiple functions. Knowing this complexity helps us better understand how the neurotransmitters in our brain work.

This knowledge becomes, without a doubt, a fundamental aspect for the development of medical treatments or drugs aimed at managing the symptoms of alterations of this substance, in the different areas of our nervous system.

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