Sunday, July 8, 2012

Parkinsons Addiction Connection: via Dopamine


Dopamine: the two-faced molecule behind addiction and Parkinson's disease - video

You can have too much of a good thing … or not enough. The neurotransmitter dopamine is responsible for the cravings of addiction, but when levels are abnormally low it causes the muscular twitches of Parkinson's disease. Studying dopamine has also revealed a fascinating distinction between the brain mechanisms that underpin 'wanting' and 'liking' – a finding that has implications not only for our understanding of human nature, but also for the treatment of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia

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