Posted by KaraS on August 2, 2004, at 18:08:22
In reply to Re: Norepinephrine vs. Dopamine, posted by Shawn. T. on August 2, 2004, at 17:42:43
> I'll outline the current theories for you; maybe someone else can offer some recommendations about meds.
>
> Gary Aston-Jones thinks that "the phasic mode of LC activity may promote focused or selective attention, whereas the tonic mode may produce a state of high behavioral flexibility or scanning attentiveness." Note that the LC is the locus coeruleus, the location of most norepinephrine neurons in the brain. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=10560036 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12802890
>
> Several researchers such as Kelly Berridge have suggested that dopamine is involved in certain types of motivation. Berridge says that dopamine mediates incentive salience, or wanting incentives. Salamone and Correa (2002) think that dopamine might be involved in activational motivation. They define this as "activation for initiating and sustaining instrumental actions; tendency to work for food." See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9858756&dopt=Abstract and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12445713&dopt=Abstract and http://www.neurotransmitter.net/wanting.html
>
> Shawn
Thanks Shawn. I haven't read your citations/abstracts yet but from what you said, I think to put it crudely, the NE provides focus (and energy of course because it's noradrenalin) while the DA is motivational. That makes a lot of sense. My only question now is why then would the stimulants be effective for ADHD? Maybe that will become clear once I do the reading.
Kara
poster:KaraS
thread:373267
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040730/msgs/373299.html