The main function of dopamine secreted by the hypothalamus is to inhibit the secretion of prolactin from the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, states the Massachusetts General Hospital Neuroendocrine Clinical Center. Too much prolactin can...
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter used by particular cells in the body to communicate with each other. Some cells in the body have receptors for dopamine that allow them to react in specific ways. There are two basic groups of dopamine receptors: the...
Dopamine is a chemical released by the brain that plays a number of roles, including pleasurable reward, movement, memory and attention. It is thought to play a role in a number of diseases through deficiency or excess. Parkinson's disease and...
Dopamine antagonists are chemicals that occupy dopamine receptors without stimulating them. They thus compete with dopamine for its natural binding sites and hence lower the effects of available dopamine. This can have the same neurological...
The brain is part of the central nervous system and plays a crucial role in regulating the body's metabolism and nearly all of its functions. Brain cells, or neurons, use chemical messenger molecules called neurotransmitters for communication....
The brain is composed of many neurons, which rely on chemical messenger molecules called neurotransmitters for communication. These cells are responsible for regulating the body's actions and metabolic functions. Dysfunction in one or more of the...
Dopamine is made by the inner part of the adrenal gland, called the adrenal medulla, and is one of the hormones responsible for the "fight or flight" reaction to a stressful or dangerous situation. During times of stress and anxiety, dopamine is...
Dopamine is a neuron produced in the brain that serves the body in several important capacities, most notably as a hormone and neurotransmitter. From these two capacities, dopamine regulates key functions within the cognitive brain and central...
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter responsible for a variety of functions in your body. Your brain uses dopamine for hormone regulation, motor control, memory and emotions. Your cardiovascular, endocrine, adrenal and central nervous systems all...
Vitamins can help you provide your child with everything he needs for growth and development, and perhaps even help him stay calm. Some symptoms of hyperactivity such as compulsive movement and tics are also symptoms of vitamin deficiencies,...
In humans, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is produced in many areas of the brain and can activate five unique brain receptors. Dopamine is often released preceding the release of adrenaline and can be released from the hypothalamus, the area...
While only 0.3 percent of the cells in your brain use dopamine, it plays vital roles in human behavior. Much of what we know about dopamine comes from disorders such as ADHD and Parkinson's disease, which involve lower than normal levels of...
Derived from the amino acid tyrosine, dopamine is a phenethylamine neurotransmitter prominent in midbrain neurons. It is the metabolic precursor to the "fight-or-flight" neurohormones norepinephrine and epinephrine--better known as adrenaline....
The brain and nervous system serve to coordinate all the other systems in the body, regulating how we feel, what we think and how we respond physiologically. Special chemicals called neurotransmitters function as messenger molecules that are used...
Dopamine dysregulation syndrome, otherwise known as hedonistic homeostatic dysregulation in Parkinson's disease, is a disorder characterized by the degeneration of the dopaminergic system. The condition commonly occurs in people with Parkinson's...
In 2006, 4,348 youth used illicit drugs for the first time on an average day, according to SAMHSA, a service of the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. For some individuals, experimentation leads to addiction and severe consequences, such...
Dopamine is one of a number of chemicals known as a neurotransmitters that carry signals from various cells in the brain. Dopamine acts on several neurons and has been implicated in addiction and movement disorders. Learning where...
Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the brain that influence feelings and mood. When neurotransmitters are imbalanced, the risk for having a psychiatric condition is increased. Depression is related to an imbalance of the neurotransmitter...
Pantethine, or pantothenic acid, is vitamin B5, an important member of the B complex vitamins. It is water soluble, and the body cannot store it, meaning it needs to be replenished through the diet. According to the National Library of Medicine...
Your nutrient intake, via dietary sources or dietary supplements, plays a role in your emotional and mental well-being, as well as the health of your nervous system. One chemical important in brain functioning is dopamine -- a molecule your brain...
Often called the “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D plays a major role in many of the body's functions. Blood levels of vitamin D also stand out as reliable predictors of a number of chronic diseases, as pointed out by Dr Joseph Mercola, a...
Researchers aren't entirely sure what causes Asperger's syndrome, a developmental disorder that causes social and communication deficits. However, scientists believe that a combination of genetics and malfunctions in the brain's communication...
You probably know that iron is needed in order for red blood cells to carry oxygen to the cells in your body. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center's website, UMM.edu, iron, or ferritin, is also needed to produce ATP, the form of...
Dopamine is neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system. Dopamine is derived from the amino acid tyrosine and is the precursor to norepinephrine and epinephrine. Among its effects,...
If you've ever wondered why you usually feel better after drinking a cup of coffee, the answer might surprise you. Caffeine increases your brain's production of one of the "feel-good" neurotransmitters known as dopamine. Among its other functions,...
High dopamine levels in the brain can be desirable for numerous reasons, whether it be for treating a disease or simply enhancing cognitive function. Dopamine-boosting substances come in various potencies, ranging from herbal preparations to...
Dopamine is a chemical vital to your mental health. It is one of several types of neurotransmitters found in the brain, all of which help transmit brain signals from one cell to the next. Dopamine's specific functions also include controlling and...
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in a number of important functions, including mood, cognition and movement. It is synthesized in several areas of the brain and serves as a reinforcing mechanism for beneficial activities like eating....
Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain that affects mood and behavior. Certain vitamins are required to maintain the homeostasis of dopamine in the brain. Without these vitamins, the activity of dopamine in the brain is altered, which can...
