[Stitcher]

Unlocking Mystery Of Why Dopamine Freezes Parkinson's Patients - Dopamine Reshapes Key Brain Circuits That Control Behavior

Main Category: Parkinson's Disease
Article Date: 11 Aug 2008 - 1:00 PDT

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117797.php

Parkinson's disease and drug addiction are polar opposite diseases, but both depend upon dopamine in the brain. Parkinson's patients don't have enough of it; drug addicts get too much of it. Although the importance of dopamine in these disorders has been well known, the way it works has been a mystery.

New research from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine has revealed that dopamine strengthens and weakens the two primary circuits in the brain that control our behavior. This provides new insight into why a flood of dopamine can lead to compulsive, addictive behavior and too little dopamaine can leave Parkinson's patients frozen and unable to move.

"The study shows how dopamine shapes the two main circuits of the brain that control how we choose to act and what happens in these disease states, " said D. James Surmeier, lead author and the Nathan Smith Davis Professor and chair of physiology at the Feinberg School. The paper is published in the August 8 issue of the journal Science.



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[pacem]

If drug addicts have too much dopamine, then, logically, there could never be a drug addict with parkinsons - right? Or is it not quite so simple? Anyone out there know the answer?

[lou_lou]

can we get another judges ruling on that!!
8.2 billion lawsuit settlent for compulsive gambling basically caused by too much dopamine...MIRAPEX -the insanity drug...
I believe we are to a degree addicts already - so sorry - it is shocking to think of ones self like this...
youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbLp6TNNjMc

stuck in the middle with you?
Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right,
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you.

Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
And I'm wondering what it is I should do,
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face,
Losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place,
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Well you started out with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self made man,
And your friends, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please.... Please.....

Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see that it makes no sense at all,
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor,
'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Well you started out with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self made man,
And your friends, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please.... Please.....

Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right,
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you,
Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
Stuck in the middle with you.
Category: Music
Tags: Stealers Wheel 1972 Reservoir Dogs