CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets (Formerly Current Drug Targets - CNS & Neurological Disorders) - Volume 5, Issue 1, 2006

Decades ago, in 1959, dopamine was found to be an essential neurotransmitter. In the years that followed, dopaminergic neurotransmission turned out to be critical for normal motor-, motivational- and reward-related functions. Nowadays it is known that dopaminergic signaling is not restricted to point-to-point synaptic contacts, but also involves volume transmission, which requires synaptic spillover of released dopamine to rea Read More

Decades ago, in 1959, dopamine was found to be an essential neurotransmitter. In the years that followed, dopaminergic neurotransmission turned out to be critical for normal motor-, motivational- and reward-related functions. Nowadays it is known that dopaminergic signaling is not restricted to point-to-point synaptic contacts, but also involves volume transmission, which requires synaptic spillover of released dopamine to rea Read More

The classification of dopamine receptors proposed more than two decades ago remains valid today. Based on biochemical and pharmaceutical properties two main classes of dopamine receptors can be distuinguished: D1-like (D1, D5) and D2-like (D2, D3, and D4) dopamine receptors. Dopamine receptors belong to the class of G protein-coupled receptors and signal to a wide range of membrane bound and intracellular Read More

The classification of dopamine receptors proposed more than two decades ago remains valid today. Based on biochemical and pharmaceutical properties two main classes of dopamine receptors can be distuinguished: D1-like (D1, D5) and D2-like (D2, D3, and D4) dopamine receptors. Dopamine receptors belong to the class of G protein-coupled receptors and signal to a wide range of membrane bound and intracellular Read More

The role of the D3 receptor has remained largely elusive before the development of selective research tools, such as selective radioligands, antibodies, various highly specific pharmacological agents and knock-out mice. The data collected so far with these tools have removed some of the uncertainties regarding the functions mediated by the D3 receptor. The D3 receptor is an autoreceptor that controls the phasic, but Read More

The role of the D3 receptor has remained largely elusive before the development of selective research tools, such as selective radioligands, antibodies, various highly specific pharmacological agents and knock-out mice. The data collected so far with these tools have removed some of the uncertainties regarding the functions mediated by the D3 receptor. The D3 receptor is an autoreceptor that controls the phasic, but Read More

The plasma membrane dopamine transporter (DAT) tightly regulates the extracellular concentrations of dopamine (DA) by re-capturing released neurotransmitter back into the presynaptic neuronal terminals and/or neighboring DA projections thereby providing an effective way to regulate synaptic and extrasynaptic DA levels. This transporter is a primary target of many potent psychotropic drugs and neurotoxins, such as c Read More

The plasma membrane dopamine transporter (DAT) tightly regulates the extracellular concentrations of dopamine (DA) by re-capturing released neurotransmitter back into the presynaptic neuronal terminals and/or neighboring DA projections thereby providing an effective way to regulate synaptic and extrasynaptic DA levels. This transporter is a primary target of many potent psychotropic drugs and neurotoxins, such as c Read More

Dopaminergic neurotransmission is mediated by the vesicular release of dopamine (DA), i.e. DA exocytosis. DA exocytosis and its modulation are generally believed to affect neuronal communication, development, maintenance and survival, and contribute to extracellular DA levels in the brain. As a result, DA exocytosis likely plays an important role in several neurological and psychiatric disorders, like Parkinson's disease ( Read More

Dopaminergic neurotransmission is mediated by the vesicular release of dopamine (DA), i.e. DA exocytosis. DA exocytosis and its modulation are generally believed to affect neuronal communication, development, maintenance and survival, and contribute to extracellular DA levels in the brain. As a result, DA exocytosis likely plays an important role in several neurological and psychiatric disorders, like Parkinson's disease ( Read More

This aim of this chapter is to review literature on the excitability and function of dopamine neurons that originate in the midbrain and project to cortico-limbic and motor structures (A9 and A10 dopamine pathways). Electrophysiological studies on rodent or non-human primates have shown that these dopamine neurons are silent or spontaneously active. The spontaneously active neurons show slow regular firing, slow irregul Read More

This aim of this chapter is to review literature on the excitability and function of dopamine neurons that originate in the midbrain and project to cortico-limbic and motor structures (A9 and A10 dopamine pathways). Electrophysiological studies on rodent or non-human primates have shown that these dopamine neurons are silent or spontaneously active. The spontaneously active neurons show slow regular firing, slow irregul Read More

The neurotransmitter dopamine is important in reward processing, however its precise modulatory role is still being investigated. Carbon-fiber microelectrodes can be used to monitor dopamine on a subsecond time scale in the striatum and nucleus accumbens of rats during behavior, and this approach is providing new insights into the mechanisms that control its extracellular concentration as well as the conditions under w Read More

The neurotransmitter dopamine is important in reward processing, however its precise modulatory role is still being investigated. Carbon-fiber microelectrodes can be used to monitor dopamine on a subsecond time scale in the striatum and nucleus accumbens of rats during behavior, and this approach is providing new insights into the mechanisms that control its extracellular concentration as well as the conditions under w Read More

Dysfunction of central dopaminergic neurotransmission has been implicated in a series of neuropsychiatric disorders, including Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, and drug and alcohol dependence. The behavioral and psychopathological manifestations of central dopaminergic dysfunction differ depending on the site of their neurobiological correlate. These sites may be found in the dorsal or ventral striatum, bu Read More

Dysfunction of central dopaminergic neurotransmission has been implicated in a series of neuropsychiatric disorders, including Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, and drug and alcohol dependence. The behavioral and psychopathological manifestations of central dopaminergic dysfunction differ depending on the site of their neurobiological correlate. These sites may be found in the dorsal or ventral striatum, bu Read More