2-Minute Neuroscience: Dopamine

Dopamine is a monoamine and catecholamine neurotransmitter with many functions in the nervous system ranging from movement to lactation. In this video, I discuss dopamine synthesis, areas of the brain where dopamine neurons are concentrated, dopamine pathways, dopamine receptors, and dopamine functions.

TRANSCRIPT:

Welcome to 2-minute neuroscience, where I explain neuroscience topics in 2 minutes or less. In this installment I will discuss dopamine.

Dopamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter, a term that refers to its chemical structure and the fact that it is derived from an amino acid. Dopamine is also a catecholamine, a term that also refers to its chemical structure and the fact that it contains a catechol nucleus. To synthesize dopamine, the amino acid tyrosine is converted to L-dopa. Then L-DOPA is decarboxylated to form dopamine.

There are several areas of the brain where dopamine neurons are concentrated. The largest are the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area in the midbrain. Other areas include the hypothalamus, olfactory bulb, and retina.

There are several major dopamine pathways that carry dopamine from these areas of concentration to other parts of the brain. Some of the largest are the mesostriatal or nigrostriatal pathway, which stretches from the substantia nigra to the striatum, the mesolimbic pathway, which stretches from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens and other limbic structures, and the mesocortical pathway, which stretches from the ventral tegmental area throughout the cerebral cortex.

Dopamine acts at G-protein coupled receptors and there are at least 5 subtypes of the dopamine receptor. Dopamine is removed from the synaptic cleft by a transporter protein called the dopamine transporter.

Like any neurotransmitter, the functions of dopamine are complex, and can’t be fully explained with just a short summary. Dopamine is linked to movement due to disorders like Parkinson’s disease that involve dopamine deficiencies. It is also often associated with the processing of rewarding experiences. However, dopamine also plays a role in many other functions.

References:

Kandel ER, Schwartz JH, Jessell TM 2000. Principles of Neural Science. 5th ed. New York. McGraw-Hill; 2013.

Caption author (Arabic) Shwan Hameed

[elizabethjones]

Notes from this video, in case anyone needs them:
DOPAMINE
Classified as:
Monoamine Neurotransmitter- chemical composition, derived from an amino acid.
Catecholamine Neurotransmitter- chemical composition, contains catechol nucleus.
To synthesize dopamine
Tyrosine converts to L-Dopa and is decarboxylated into Dopamine.
Dopamine rich areas of the brain include
Substantia Nigra
Ventral regimental area
(Both located in the mid brain)
Other areas include
Hypothalamus
Olfactory bulb
Retina
Some dopamine pathways, which carry concentration of dopamine to other areas of the brain, include
Nigrostriatal Pathway- stretches from the substantia nigra to the striatum
Mesolimbic Pathway- stretches from ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens, and other limbic structures
Mesocorticol Pathway- stretches from ventral tegmental area throughout the cerebral cortex
Dopamine Receptors
=G protein - coupled receptors
At least 5 subtypes of dopamine receptors
Dopamine transporter removes dopamine from synaptic cleft
Some functions of dopamine:
Movement
Reward
Memory
Lactation
Attention
Sleep regulation
Nausea
Motivation
Arousal
And many many more.

[johnnyeaglex]

This video makes me feel good from some reson....

[philippammer]

I express my gratitude for not only having illustrated the catecholamine on a molecular perspective, but also verbalised it’s physiological function it regulates.

[stevenfenster]

The illustration for the nigrostriatial, mesolimbic, and mesocortical pathways was great and made this clear forever.

[suzannebalcom]

Thank you for simplifying complex concepts ! Truly grateful

[aaron]

Right now my dopamine is 80% fun and 20% learning. I want to change that 50% fun and 50% learning

[pineapple]

I feel smart just by listening to this guy

[buffalothief]

Thank you for these clear, brief, well-illustrated videos. Well done!

[juliegould]

Fascinating and easy to understand, even for a lay person with no knowledge of Chemistry. Thank you.Faulty dopamine receptors and/or lack of iron in the brain have been linked to Restless Legs Syndrome. Tyrosine supplements are often mentioned as a possible remedy. I just have to work out how to repair myelin so the dopamine can flow freely through the pathways.

[biologyportal]

Perfect video on dopamine in 2 minutes

[DJMikeron]

2 min video which leads to 2 Hours of word clearing and definitions

[Javarrol]

Kind of got it. Thanks 🙏. This process was just explained in for forum in class learning vs motivation

[dazzleawakening]

I'm going to be honest about your videos... I really inspired from your knowledge and now I've been interested to understand more and also I like the way you put the information with the pictures to help us understand how things work i appreciate you thank you.

[BetsyPippen]

Can you do a video on how the brain picks up on body language from others without even knowing it? How we can know what something means that is so subtle?

[maherarabi]

Your videos are really priceless. Love the direct and indirect pathways of the Basal Ganglia. Thank you .

[williamfoley]

God gets the glory for creating such an amazing, complex brain and body.Thank you very much Jehovah God for sustaining me for 66 years.

[gailhowes]

I have Parkinson’s and MSA for the last 23-4 years now, the MSA is the stronger of the two. I went to the CRIS program and it helped me a lot so that I can stand straighter, am now off the “ park “ medication. With MSA I have to use a walker to hold me up as I have fallen too many times because of my lack of balance, sleep problems and a lot of sweating persists. None of my doctors bothered to check what level of Dopamine & serotonin. A YouTube video by a Dr. Janelle Sinclair clued me in these . I will see my GP on the 21st of this month so hoping for some answers.

[Savingdea]

A good way to excite dopamine production is to be really angry or really passionate about something- healthy debates keep the brain engaged. Speaking from experience. Not fighting- debating keep challenging the brain it makes the neurons spark and and the message faster.

[gamble]

I REALLY do not believe dopamine functions as a reward at all. When dopamine is discussed as being for motivation, I believe it actually functions less as a carrot and more as a stick. It is released before you do something in order to increase motivation, like in how it creates the motivation to move or to keep re-dosing a drug. This mechanism is separate to pleasure which is a complex feeling related to many other neurotransmitters. I have had extensive experiece with drugs- I will tell you exactly how cocaine and amphetamines made me feel, outside of the adrenaline rush which is kind of pleasurable, I would liken the experience to feeling a real great need to accomplish something or move, but without any purpose, once the secondary effects wear off, that is all you feel, this is a very unpleasant feeling, but no matter how unpleasant, you feel compelled to keep doing it!
I believe the compounds responsible for pleasure are a cocktail, things like serotonin, endorphins, oxytocin, norepinephrine, adrenaline, GABA, etc.
Dopamine may interact with other neurotransitters to elevate mood in some circumstances, but if you think about it, it wouldn't make sense for Ritalin (similar action to cocaine) or Adderall (similar to meth) to motivate you to do anything more than seek more pleasure from the drug, it motivates you to perform mindless tasks. I hate cocaine, it does not feel good, I thought it did, but it just left me not sure what I so desperately wanted to do!
When you have sex dopamine levels are high before you even begin, it is that feeling of tension or frustrtion, this builds throughout the act, and then endorphins, serotonin and oxytocin flood the brain, that is the release that feels so good. I believe there is even research coming out that agrees with my personal analysis of what primarily dopaminergic drugs do to me. It is also backed up by the fact that low doses do not produce pleasure, they simply enable people with motivational disorders to feel motivated.
It is more like the guy holding a gun to you and telling you to drive than the paycheck you recieve for being a slave to the company.

[astr]

I think i will send this to my friends