dopamine
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A monoamine neurotransmitter: Dopamine is a chemical naturally produced in the brain. It functions as a neurotransmitter, meaning it transmits signals between nerve cells (neurons). It is essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system, influencing movement, motivation, pleasure, reward, and cognition.
- A pharmaceutical drug: Dopamine is also used as a medication (with trade names like Dopastat and Intropin). In this form, it is administered to treat medical conditions such as shock (a life-threatening condition where blood flow is critically low) and hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure).
Usage Examples
- Noun (Neurotransmitter):
- Dopamine is often called the "feel-good" neurotransmitter because it is associated with pleasure and reward.
- Parkinson's disease is linked to a deficiency of dopamine in the brain.
- Noun (Medication):
- The doctor administered dopamine to stabilize the patient's blood pressure during septic shock.
- Dopastat, a brand of dopamine, is commonly used in intensive care units.
Advanced Usage
- Dopamine pathway/reward pathway: Refers to specific neural circuits in the brain where dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter, crucial for motivation and reward-based learning.
- Addictive substances can hijack the brain's dopamine reward pathway.
- Dopamine receptor: A protein on the surface of a nerve cell that dopamine binds to, triggering a response inside the cell.
- Antipsychotic medications often work by blocking dopamine receptors.
- Dopamine agonist/antagonist: An agonist is a drug that activates dopamine receptors, while an antagonist blocks them.
- A dopamine agonist may be prescribed for Parkinson's disease.
Variants and Related Words
- Dopaminergic (adj): Relating to or denoting nerve cells or fibers that use dopamine as their neurotransmitter.
- The study focused on the dopaminergic system.
- Dopaminergically (adv): In a manner relating to dopamine.
- The drug acts dopaminergically.
Synonyms
- Neurotransmitter: A broader category of chemicals that includes dopamine.
- Catecholamine: A class of neurotransmitters and hormones that includes dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine.
Related Phrases and Compounds
- Dopamine transporter: A protein that recycles dopamine from the synapse back into the neuron.
- Dopamine hypothesis: A theory suggesting that overactivity of dopamine transmission may contribute to schizophrenia.
- Dopamine rush/surge: A colloquial term for a sudden increase in dopamine levels, often associated with pleasurable experiences.
Noun
- a monoamine neurotransmitter found in the brain and essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system; as a drug (trade names Dopastat and Intropin) it is used to treat shock and hypotension