What is dopamine?
A particularly large amount of dopamine is produced in the midbrain. Here it plays an important role in the control and regulation of movements. If the dopaminergic neurons die, the dopamine effect is extinguished and characteristic symptoms such as tremor and muscle stiffness (rigor) appear. This clinical picture is also called Parkinson’s disease.
Outside the brain, the blood vessels in the abdomen and kidneys dilate due to the effect of dopamine, and blood flow is promoted. In addition, dopamine stimulates the activity of the sympathetic nervous system. In pregnant women, it regulates the release of prolactin, a hormone responsible for breast growth and milk production.
Dopamine as a drug
When do you determine dopamine?
Dopamine Reference Values
Dopamine can be measured in urine, with urine collected over 24 hours. For a meaningful measurement result, some conditions must be observed:
The following dopamine standard values (in micrograms per day) apply to 24-hour collection urine:
|
Age |
Dopamine standard value |
|
until 1 year |
≤ 85.0 µg/d |
|
1 to 2 years |
≤ 140.0 µg/d |
|
2 to 4 yrs. |
≤ 260.0 µg/d |
|
4 to 18 years |
≤ 450.0 µg/d |
|
Adults |
< 620 µg/d |
When is the dopamine level reduced?
If dopaminergic neurons die or too little dopamine is produced, the brain can no longer regulate movements and their extent. The full picture of the missing dopamine effect is the so-called Parkinson’s disease.
Due to the importance of the neurotransmitter in the reward system, a lack of dopamine can also lead to depression.
Dopamine deficiency
When is the dopamine level elevated?
Pheochromocytomas lead to elevated levels due to increased release of dopamine. Patients complain of sweating, high blood pressure and headaches with dizziness.
Apparently, psychoses and schizophrenia are also associated with an excess of dopamine. Thus, drugs that block certain dopamine receptors lead to an improvement in symptoms.
How can dopamine be increased or decreased?
If the body’s dopamine level is pathologically increased or decreased, drugs help to compensate for the deficiency or excess. One of the best-known examples is L-DOPA (levodopa), which acts as a transmitter substitute in the brain of patients with Parkinson’s disease and thus compensates for the existing dopamine deficit. Dopamine reuptake inhibitors are also important drugs that give sufferers a better quality of life.
If the dopamine balance is out of whack due to stress, physical strain or lack of sleep, meditation, relaxation exercises or yoga can be used to bring the body’s own dopamine levels back into balance.
