What role does dopamine play in depression? | The role of serotonin neurotransmitters in depression

What role does dopamine play in depression?

Dopamine also plays a role in the development of depression. A dopamine deficiency can promote the development of depression. However, the neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenalin play a more decisive role in the clinical picture of depression. Dopamine, on the other hand, has a very important role in diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.

What role does norepinephrine play in depression?

Noradrenaline, like serotonin, is a neurotransmitter and hormone. Like serotonin, norepinephrine acts as a messenger substance to transmit information in the form of impulses from one nerve cell to another. A lack of noradrenaline in the synaptic cleft is partly responsible for the depressive symptoms.

A norepinephrine deficiency causes a reduction in drive, motivation and concentration. Antidepressants that counteract the norepinephrine deficiency are used to treat depression. These include drugs that inhibit the reuptake of norepinephrine into the nerve cells, so-called selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) or selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSNRI).The treatment results in norepinephrine remaining longer in the synaptic cleft and thus being able to act longer on the downstream nerve cells. This leads to a reduction in symptoms, improved mood and increased drive.

What causes the disturbance of neurotransmitters in the brain?

So far, it is not clear how and why the neurotransmitter system in the brain changes during depression. It is a fact that certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin and norepinephrine seem to be present in reduced concentrations in depression. This causes the depressive symptoms.

However, depression is a combination of many different factors. Genetic aspects also seem to play a role. Some people are more susceptible to the development of depression than others.

Currently, the clinical picture of depression is still the subject of research. The fact that not all depressive patients respond equally well to antidepressants also indicates that disorders in the neurotransmitter system are not the only causative component in the development of depression.