Neurotransmitter: Dopamine

Dopamine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, travels across the synapse and affects brain processes that control voluntary movement, emotional response, learning and memory, and the ability to experience pleasure and pain. There are several ways that problems occur because of dopamine. Some prescription drugs and drugs of abuse, such as cocaine and amphetamines, interfere with normal functions of dopamine. For example, cocaine blocks reuptake so that dopamine stays in the synapse longer. Because this blockage occurs, cocaine …

…they develop uncontrollable tremors, difficulty controlling movements, and, often, declining cognitive abilities. These symptoms are caused by the death of neurons that make dopamine in the substantia nigra, the part of the brain responsible for voluntary movements and mood regulation. Medications such as levodopa, which converts itself into dopamine once inside the brain are used to counteract this loss of dopamine. If this does not make the symptoms better, neurosurgery might be used as well.