Dopamine dysregulation syndrome: implications for a dopamine hypothesis of bipolar disorder.

CONCLUSION: Pharmacological models suggest a role of increased dopaminergic drive in mania and the converse in depression. In Parkinson's disease, administration of high-dose dopamine precursors can produce a 'maniform' picture, which switches into a depressive analogue on withdrawal. It is possible that in bipolar disorder there is a cyclical process, where increased dopaminergic transmission in mania leads to a secondary down regulation of dopaminergic receptor sensitivity over time. This may lead to a period of decreased dopaminergic transmission, corresponding with the depressive phase, and the repetition of the cycle. This model, if verified, may have implications for rational drug development. PMID: 17688462 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Supplementum - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl Source Type: research