Space, time and dopamine

被引:186
作者
Arbuthnott, Gordon W.
Wickens, Jeff
机构
[1] Univ Edinburgh, Div Neurosci, Sch Biomed & Clin Lab Sci, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, Midlothian, Scotland
[2] Univ Otago, Dept Anat & Struct Biol, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
[3] Ctr Adv Studies, N-0271 Oslo, Norway
[4] Okinawa Inst Sci & Technol, Okinawa 9042234, Japan
关键词
D O I
10.1016/j.tins.2006.12.003
中图分类号
Q189 [神经科学];
学科分类号
071006 ;
摘要
In recent years, dopamine has emerged as a key neurotransmitter that is crucially involved in incentive motivation and reinforcement learning. Dopamine release is evoked by rewards. The extensive divergence of outputs from a small number of dopaminergic neurons suggests a spatially nonselective action of dopamine, but it reinforces the specific actions that led to reward. How is this achieved? We propose that the selectivity of dopamine effects is achieved by the timing of dopamine release in relation to the activity of gluta-matergic synapses, rather than by spatial localization of the dopamine signal to specific synaptic contacts. The synaptic mechanisms of these actions are unknown but reduced levels of dopamine, for example in Parkinson's disease, leads to a paucity of behavioural output, whereas its excess production has been associated with psychiatric problems. Clearly, there are therapeutic imperatives that require a better understanding of how dopamine functions at a synaptic level.
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页码:62 / 69
页数:8
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