NR 546 Week 2, 3 Discussion.

NR 546 Week 2, 3 Discussion.

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Assigned neurotransmitter: Dopamine

• Write a 3-5 sentence paraphrased summary of the assigned neurotransmitters' purpose

and function Dopamine is a monoamine neurotransmitter in the brain that acts as a chemical messenger between the nerve cells of the brain and the rest of the body.Dopamine plays a role in the “reward center” of the brain and in other functions such as movement, memory, pleasure and reward, motivation, attention, sleep, mood, and learning. It is often referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitter as it gives a sense of pleasure and the motivation to do something when experiencing the pleasurable feeling. As part of the “reward system”, it is thought that, from an evolutionary standpoint, dopamine provides a good feeling as a reward for doing things necessary for survival such as eating, drinking, reproducing, and competing for survival. When a person does something perceived as pleasurable, a large amount of dopamine is released from the brain causing the “feel good” feeling that causes you to seek more of that feeling, something that may play a role in addiction (Cleveland Clinic, 2020). 1 / 2

• Link dopamine to a psychiatric diagnosis

Dopamine is most commonly linked to schizophrenia through the dopamine hypothesis which states that the positive symptoms of schizophrenia (hallucinations and delusion) are caused by too much dopamine in parts of the

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