Dopamine

Dopamine is an endogenous chemical or neurotransmitter that transmits signals from a neuron or a component of a nervous system. These signals are transmitted to a certain cell through a synapse or junctions where other neurons also transmit signals to each other. It is formed in the brain by the decarboxylation, or removal of carboxyl or radical organic acid of dopa, an amino acid.  It is essential to the central nervous system to function normally, and to the control of motion of the human body. The functions of dopamine as a substance that transmits messages between the brain’s nerve cells affect the person’s conditions such as (a) Behaviour and cognition, (b) Motivation, (c) Voluntary movement, (d) Sleep, (e) Attention, (f) Mood, (g) Learning, and (h) Working memory.

As a medication. Dopamine is available as an intravenous medication that produces some effects like increased blood pressure and heart rate. It is given to increase dopamine in the brains of patients afflicted with Parkinson’s disease and other mental disorders caused by its imbalanced concentration or low levels in the brain. This imbalance can be treated by drugs that increase dopamine levels or may inhibit the action of the medication.

Dopamine receptor agonists:- These are drugs that stimulate dopamine receptors or receivers, for increased production or activity of dopamine. These drugs are used to treat Parkinson’s disease and provide relief to some hormone disorders. These include bromocriptine, amantadine, quicolide, cyberqoline, and ropernirole. In most cases, these drugs bind to dopamine receptors and directly stimulate such receptors to treat some brain disorders. Like the bromocriptine drug, dopamine agonists are also used for therapy of migraine disorders and treat the so-called ischemic stroke, which is related to anemia caused by the constriction of the arterial blood inflow.

Dopamine receptor antagonists:- These are drugs that bind to dopamine receptors but do not stimulate them. They can prevent or reverse dopamine actions by preventing it to attach or bind to receptors. Traditionally, these are used to treat schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder and other related mental conditions. They are also used to treat nausea, psychosis and migraine, hiccup or spasmodic inhalation, and Tourette syndrome, an inherited neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by repetitive involuntary movements.

Benefits of dopamine:- Dopa is an amino acid found in dopamine used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, which is related to low levels of dopamine in the brain. If taken orally, dopa crosses the barrier between blood and the brain and is converted to dopamine once it enters the bloodstream. The approval of dopa by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1970 appears to have revolutionized the treatment of Parkinson’s disease by improving nerve conduction or transmission and lessening the movement disorders related to the diseases.