Dopamine Isn’t Just a Happy Chemical

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When we think of the neurotransmitter dopamine, we often imagine it, and other molecules in our brains, as doing one specific thing. But that's just flat out wrong!
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Sources:
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32786...
link.springer.com/article/10....
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23966...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16566...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22748...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27930...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NB...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19627...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31279...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18477...
Images:
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[@SciShowPsych]

Go to curiositystream.com/SciShowPsych to start streaming Curious Minds: Happiness. Use code scishowpsych to sign up, just $14.99 for the whole YEAR.

[@jesipohl6717]

messing with dopamine receptors also causes parkinsonian symptomologies.

[@brandondavidson4085]

I learned in high school that dopamine is the "make things happen" chemical. So muscles, happiness, motivation, waking up.

[@markholm7050]

I don’t think you explained that most neurotransmitters are, in their normal function, released and consumed locally. A neurotransmitter released in one part of the brain often does not affect receptors for that same molecule in another part of the brain because it is also mopped up locally, not allowed to freely circulate.

[@ideashop4981]

This

[@christopheb9221]

so yes in the definition of a neurotransmitter but dopamine is as a neuromodulator. One a group of cells produce dopamine. Also serotonin is mostly produced in the GI tract by bacteria. The point of the video is that these chemicals are not as simple as only used in the synapses.

[@neelroy2918]

This is a important distinction between what we do and what natural processes do. Arent there any research projects that work on delivering it to only needed part of brain?

[@megantaylor2871]

My brother has a rare condition called dopa-responsive dystonia. His body basically does not make dopamine and, because of this, we actually thought he had cerebral palsy for a long time because he had such a hard time walking and speaking.

[@bigsmoke4]

Dopamine finally getting the attention it deserves.

[@360.Tapestry]

the fact that it's a pretty well-known term in the common vernacular says it's gets plenty of attention

[@Junoswoof]

Hey, I've just started on an SNRI, it would be cool to see a similar episode but about norepinephrine

[@Andrew-ky8vr]

Agreed! I think the physiology behind psychiatric mediation is fascinating. Would love to see a couple episodes explaining a few classes of these drugs.

[@paryanindoeur]

I tried an SNRI once... the norepinephrine inhibition was too much for me, made me anxious and shaky. (Not Parkinson's-like shaky.)

[@freeassange5667]

I tried Venlafaxine (SNRI) and it gave me persistently raised anxiety levels, like a kind of constant background stress increase... which makes sense since adrenaline is a stress hormone... It just made me feel tense and yucky, dirty... CORRECTION EDIT: it used to say Fluoxitine, now says Venlafaxine.

[@alayhaferron1972]

I’m taking an NDRI

[@zliderr]

@@alayhaferron1972 Wellbutrin?

[@theMoporter]

I was prescribed a dopaminergic for ADHD and it literally cured my chronic pain. And a functional hunch I didn't even realise I had. My neck is an inch or two longer now. No idea that would happen!

[@nolaheart]

Were you able to stop taking it and/or is your pain still gone? Any bad side effects? Is it actually addictive? Thanks for any info. Really glad it had that benefit for you.

[@jadegrace1312]

This is why I wished people discussed ADD more. There's a lot of lesser-known symptoms and comorbidities that lead to people to being misdiagnosed, or not even diagnosed at all because they don't realize they have any symptoms.

[@thehandliesthandle]

@@nolaheart i have adhd and chronic pain. i take adhd medication of the amphetamine class, and it seriously reduces my levels of pain. it makes my pain 5x better, but yes, adhd meds are addictive especially the amphetamine class. withdrawl symptoms are absolutely miserable for me, and im on a childs dose. if i took a very large dose the withdrawls would be truly horrific. side effects for me are mainly to do with me losing my appetite which is an annoying and persistent side effect. you can take adhd meds for years and the appetite suppression will not go away. if that side effect is bad enough, the lack of food intake can cause all sorts of problems that might look like side effects but its actually not eating enough

[@nolaheart]

@@thehandliesthandleTY, I am familiar with the amphetamine medications but not the dopaminergic type the OP is speaking of.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

Yes. All the dopaminergic drugs relieve pain. This is well known.

[@rocket9595]

Well. Explains why dopamine has such a big effect on ADHD

[@AGFuzzyPancake]

Poor fine motor skills, poor ability to focus, poor working memory, very risk adverse, often depressed... sounds just like my ADHD.

[@DSNChaser]

@@AGFuzzyPancake based

[@mr.hi_vevo414]

@@AGFuzzyPancake and it explains my working memory issues too

[@nikkyk4839]

Yeah.

[@levnzt6949]

@@AGFuzzyPancake yeah, no. Everything you mention can be described with depression by itself, or microbiome, or malnourishment, organic illness, personality disorder or even astrology. It's a single neurotransmitter of many many many. it doesn't carry all these symptoms inherently. We are not "neurotransmitters", they are a part of "us" i.e. our brainmatter.

[@AmyDentata]

A great metaphor I've heard for this: Medications that affect neurotransmitters are kind of like pouring motor oil over the entire car when you need an oil change. [edit because internet] This isn't saying "medication is bad," it's communicating how imprecise current treatments are. Hopefully over time treatments will get more precise!

[@L4wr3nc3810]

Nah, thats hyperbolic

[@levnzt6949]

Sadly it's nonsense. It's more like putting your smartphone under a 12V car battery and forcing it to work better. It will.. for a time.

[@360.Tapestry]

where that analogy fails is that motors are specifically engineered to receive lubrication where it's applied; while brains are selected for through invisible trial-and-error by their external outcomes, rather than a known and reliable internal structure. as long as the sum is 10, we don't think too hard on whether it was 5 + 5, 4 + 6, or 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 until something breaks

[@nutzeeer]

waiting for the day we learn calculus with a pill, while also installing a virus to buy the newest iphone

[@KyleJMitchell]

I appreciate what you're saying. Not just the metaphor, but also _that_ it's a metaphor. Specifically a metaphor that illustrates how difficult the whole enterprise can be when precision just isn't an option. ... Lol, "that's hyperbolic"? Give us a break, little dude; hyperbole is what makes metaphors work.

[@austinbutts3000]

A book I recommend is Oliver Sack's "Awakenings". It documents the treatment of patients with chronic Parkinsons-like symptoms after acute encephalitis with a first-generation dopamine replacement drug (Levodopa). In general, symptom relief came with massive side-effects and eventually lack of benefit from treatment. Probably our first lesson that flooding the brain with neurotransmitter lookalikes is a very blunt tool to treat neurological and psychiatric diseases.

[@rachelmumford5025]

Couple years ago my dr increased my dose of a med I was taking for depression and ADHD. I got super shaky - I had to ask my lab partner to do all the pipetting because I couldn't get it in the wells

[@LawnMeower]

when memes make you happy: dope-a-meme

[@rebelcommander7starwarsjur922]

You know with all memes theses days all those bad puns you get as the majority of puns this one’s really creative and good like actually good

[@krakhedd]

@@rebelcommander7starwarsjur922 a miner died on the job. It was an "ore"-rible day

[@rebelcommander7starwarsjur922]

@@krakhedd nah not feeling it like the other one sorry man

[@krakhedd]

@@rebelcommander7starwarsjur922 what do you call a stuttering Apostle? Re-Peter 🚪🚶‍♂️

[@rebelcommander7starwarsjur922]

@@krakhedd nope sorry

[@anderskallberg7969]

When talking about dopamine, how could you NOT mention that dopamine plays a major role in motivation?? It's not clear if it is even a chemical of pleasure from my understanding. "In popular culture and media, dopamine is often portrayed as the main chemical of pleasure, but the current opinion in pharmacology is that dopamine instead confers motivational salience;[4][5][6] in other words, dopamine signals the perceived motivational prominence (i.e., the desirability or aversiveness) of an outcome, which in turn propels the organism's behavior toward or away from achieving that outcome.[6][7]" ( The 5 sources can be found through wikipedia )

[@Decay19XX]

I second this, I take Pregabalin for restless legs syndrome and its destroyed my motivation more than anything to the point where I cant function in daily life, I'm slowly tapering off it now as I realised how bad its gotten but its incredibly hard to come off of as it makes anxiety extremely intense and last time I just stopped it outright I couldn't swallow any food for 3 weeks and had to drink meal replacement shakes to maintain myself and couldn't sleep for longer than half an hour. It blocks dopamine, glutamate and nor-epinephrine so no wonder its messed up my basic biological drive for food, sex, social company, happiness even.

[@thehandliesthandle]

i take amphetamine, which is one of the most powerful dopamine releasers and reuptake inhibitors, for adhd and its most prominent effect is making me more motivated to seek goals, although i still am incredibly lazy because i don't take very much of it. i believe dopamine isn't a pleasure chemical, it just happens to be released while you are happy because seeking out goals often causes happiness. aversive stimuli like fear also increases dopamine levels so high dopamine can be associated with fear as well as happiness. the way i imagine it, is dopamine tells your brain "pay attention, this is important" from my understanding, other neurotransmitters like the your bodys natural opioid system, or the serotonin system are more associated with actual "pleasure" but do not increase motivation

[@DarkMoonDroid]

@Anders I was just about to make the same comment with less technical agility... It's not about risk-taking. It's about motivation and goals. Goals are a subset of risk-taking. But not the other way around. I don't need to take risks. I need to get dressed, shower, eat right and exercise while I'm being poisoned by chemotherapy and anti-nausea meds. I can't take an SSRI because serotonin will increase the nausea and those have never made me feel motivated anyway. But how much you wanna bet they're gonna deny me for "drug seeking behavior" because of the association with risk-taking and "tweaking"?

[@MarieAxelsson]

Anyone else feel weird to see a whole episode about dopamine and it not talk about ADHD? Explains why we occasionally feel like we can't get up though. Like woah

[@hudsoncampbell5064]

I just got diagnosed with adhd, I'm 26, good times 😅

[@MarieAxelsson]

@@hudsoncampbell5064 I got diagnosed at 35, 3 months ago. You're good!

[@hudsoncampbell5064]

@@MarieAxelsson well then, welcome to the club... I'm pretty sure this channel is the reason I found out as well 😆

[@MarieAxelsson]

@@hudsoncampbell5064 Facebook memes for me. And getting very hyper active when I got some other health issues diagnosed and medicated, so I had enough energy to be hyper again after years of being too sick

[@amasterofone]

It's interesting that treatments that focus on domapmine for Parkinsons can lead to increased risk taking behaviors when one of the features of ADHD, in which lack of dopamine is known to play a role, is impulsive behavior. I wonder if the cognitive processes behind each of these situations is different. Dopamine is also a reward chemical so it would stand to reason that if a person who isn't used to getting a reward for risky behavior suddenly has dopamine available to fuel that process then it would of course lead to more risk taking.

[@MrSmitheroons]

I have an ADHD relative who claims that stimulants (caffeine, Ritalin) calm them down, and that depressants (alcohol etc.) don't work properly for them, they usually don't get drowsy when drinking. This relative thinks they work opposite, and I wonder if there really is a different role of dopamine levels in some people with ADHD than usual... Super anecdotal! I'd love to see actual clinical trials to see if that is what's going on with ADHD...

[@christianross6865]

Oooooo!! That’s a super interesting point! I have ADHD, so maybe I can give a first-person perspective into how impulsive behavior and risk-taking behavior shows up for me. Plus, added in is the mountain of knowledge I have on the topic; theres a common “research everything ADHD” hyperfocus phase sparked when a person finds out they have ADHD. I haven’t (yet) escalated to the point of researching straight from Journals, but I do practice lateral reading! So, an example of impulsivity would be the above paragraph. I spent 45 minutes writing it. For me, ADHD is not a deficit of attention, it is an abundance of attention. It’s a firehose of attention, and its POWERFUL. It’s why I could spend that long typing, editing, considering contextual elements in split seconds, and just become fully immersed in typing on my teeny lil baby phone screen keyboard. The firehose was blasting attention at this task. Here’s where impulsivity comes into play (for me). Who is aiming the firehose? It’s, wait for it: - a god damnb TODDLER. literal child. That toddler is my brain’s self-regulatory functions which, from what I’ve learned, dopamine is very important in operating those circuits/brain bits!! So one part of it is that my self-regulatory functions are running at a deficit in dopamine, which makes those functions less likely to work on impulse regulation. So, when I take my medication or otherwise have dopamine levels up, I often don’t feel the frantic restless drive to increase stimulation as much - my need is sated, the threshold for minimum dopamine in my nervous system seems to be met and my body’s like, “oh okay cool that’s handled, lets go do other stuff.” I guess the way I’d put it is that my ADHD-impulsivity is due, in part, to the deficit of dopamine in self-regulatory neural circuits. There is not enough dopamine acting in those circuits, so less impulses get modulated by said circuits, and those impulses could be stimuli-seeking or emotional dysregulation - especially Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). God RSD HURTS, but at least emotional flooding lasts for just a couple minutes, when my brain is able to catch up and regulate the emotions to the appropriate intensity. Wow, I hope I actually explained what I said I would, at like, the beginning of my comment LOL. I’m not informed on what role norepinephrine plays in my Adderall, but it seems like its also important in ADHD body chemistry (which, maybe ADHD medication shouldn’t be considered just a neurochemical/neurological thing, but a combo of nervous and endocrine system changes??).

[@christianross6865]

Accidentally hit send HHHH I spent over an hour on it, practicing the Heuristic of Good Enough! Hope I gave you some interesting perspectives related to your observations!!

[@MrSmitheroons]

Edit: On second look, I suppose you might have been addressing the other commenter, but I'll leave my comment as-is, since it's sincere anyway. Best to you all here browsing the comments. ​@@christianross6865 You remind me of my relative. Yes, I enjoyed your comment and learned some things. Thanks for the perspective! I don't know where you're at on your journey, but everyone in my family has it, and each of us finds out a bit more how to live and thrive with ADHD each year. (Thriving is still a Work In Progress! But getting there!) I was diagnosed, but with non-hyperactive type. My "relative" alluded to has "hyperactive type". I think I might have one parent of each type. We're all figuring out how to deal with it well. I think I can apply what you said to try to understand my "relative" better. (Don't know why I'm being so vague about them, I just don't want to drop too many breadcrumbs in case someone online stalks me...) Best regards and hope you have a wonderful day. And may science help us all understand.

[@rachael4345]

@@MrSmitheroons I am ADHD, I can confirm that many of us experience caffeine immunity (we get no energy boost, just go straight to the crash). I can also say certain drugs definitely don't work quite right on my brain, but alcohol definitely works as expected. However, everyone's expectations of how I'll act when I'm drinking is different from when I'm sober and my ADHD behaviors are much more accommodated. To the point where I order mocktails and have just as much fun.

[@maddy3852]

I was hoping you would mention ADHD, because it's such a misunderstood condition that is very much related to dopamine production in the brain. Hear how he says that it's related to movement and focus among other things? Scientists aren't 100% sure what causes ADHD but they do know that it's related to the development of the frontal lobe, which plays a huge part in dopamine production.

[@NewMessage]

I'd mention how dope this episode is, but I suspect that Dad joke would just suppress everyone's dopamine.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Get out. 👉🚪

[@NewMessage]

@@Thenoobestgirl * slumps shoulders and drags his feet as he goes through the door *

[@Thenoobestgirl]

@@NewMessage :)

[@dukemandu]

I've seen you around for years, "New Message". 5k followers off just your remarks. Impressive. You say you're here to entertain yourself, but I think you just love the attention. Cheap, internet attention. After all, the psychology behind your name and portrait are as obvious as the nose of my face.

[@nickanthropocene6502]

Your pfp is pure nostagia. Google+ was a mess, but still... I miss it.

[@dgwr2314]

I am treatment resistant with Major Depressive Disorder and was on pramipexole for several years. Helped me in many ways but unfortunately no med is forever with chronic mental illness

[@FaerieDust]

Depression that only responded to an NDRI, ADHD, and restless legs syndrome - I figured out a while ago that my brain definitely has a dopamine issue 😅

[@thehandliesthandle]

i have restless leg, adhd, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. amphetamine adhd meds are all that works for me (which is a NDRI and also a norephinephrine/dopamine releaser) and it causes some level of improvement in all of the psychological issues i mentioned. all dopamine related issues, although its probably also related to other things as well, its largely dopamine

[@d4mpire3598]

I just finished the 1990 movie “awakenings” (tots recommend) and this popped on my feed, super interesting to hear more about what dopamine does. I hope people continue to research it so we can help more people with stuff like Parkinson’s. It just kills me that we still don’t have any definite cures yet.

[@enbyopossum]

This would explain why mood stabilizers for bipolar disorder so often have tremor and kinesthesia as side effects (I had a horrible tremor and balance issues when I went on lithium and Depakote).

[@Hmm...Whats-Their-Name]

Kept waiting for ADHD to come up and then the episode ended...

[@clairey.potter]

same thing just happened to me

[@Thenoobestgirl]

Sad story bro

[@LeopardMask12]

Yep, same.

[@milesdenudt6745]

That thing. Hand it over. Your dopamine.

[@alyandthecats]

Half my family has ADHD and it just kept ticking off their various symptoms without saying ADHD X)

[@AngelaSealana]

This was so enlightening

[@michaelelbert5798]

Loved it, Hank.

[@The_Cyber_System]

This is a lot more nuanced of a problem than I thought. I knew it was not as simple as 'X drug fixes Y problem' but that's a lot more intertwined and convoluted.

[@vice.nor.virtue]

Holy crap Hank that was amazing! I have dopamine problems so this was a really enlightening video!

[@billsabado9393]

This was pretty dope

[@LS-xy7zt]

Guys, please. The episode is five minutes long, it's not going to be comprehensive or cover every disorder or disease that involves dopamine. It's only supposed to be a soundbite to describe dopamine's function beyond being a "happy" chemical.

[@levnzt6949]

End even the "happy" bit was wrong. Dopamine is more like the "reward" drug that comes with a craving being satisfied and in smaller doses the "wanting" to actually instigate the desire to achieve sth. Happiness on the other hand comes after experiencing new and pleasurable things (in the absence of suffering). Basically one to make it worthwhile, the other to persecute it again and again. Since reality is complicated, they might get mixed for greater pleasure or abused into dependence (cocain, heroin etc) So "happiness" from dopamine is not what people have in mind when they think about happiness. And on top of it all: A neurotransmitter doesn't make us happy per se. Certain activity of our brains increases with being more "happy" simultaneously and the neurotransmitters are just a way of letting the areas/neurons communicate. Thinking that increasing happiness with neurotransmitters from outside is just forcing someone to smile with a shotgun in his face or jumping on a horse from the wrong end. There is no "happiness" in a chemical-neurotransmitter as if it was carrying magical feelings. Repeating that nonsense 1000 times doesn't make it more true.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

Might also explain bipolar high risk-taking.

[@Butterfly-ADHD]

I was wondering if pramipexole has ever been used for ADHD? When I took an antidepressant it caused tremors. Once I started taking medication for ADHD I was no longer depressed so I was able to get off the antidepressant. Strangely my stimulant medication helps me sleep better. However no medication I was ever given to help me sleep worked.

[@ellaneruda]

Man… I thought he was gonna talk about ADHD when he started talking about dopamine and the prefrontal cortex :( Maybe another episode

[@chrisdavis3551]

ANyone who has gone fully thru Opiod withdrawals has felt all of this at once, including fight or flight from too much nor epinephrine (the counter agent to dopamine)

[@thehandliesthandle]

the counter agent to dopamine? amphetamine and cocaine and coffee all increase norephinephrine and at the same time increase dopamine. opiate withdrawl from what i know would be a lack of your own endogenous opioids (which i am pretty sure spikes norephinephrine to uncomfortable levels)

[@djadelaney]

Explains a lot about my worst days, if my dopamine regulation is truly haywire

[@LoriAW3791]

Tardive Dyskinesia is no joke.

[@metametodo]

MOAR PLS

[@alien9279]

Oh new shirt! I hope to see it I hundreds of future videos:)

[@letsgoBrandon204]

When did the word impact replace the word affect

[@RaunienTheFirst]

Strange that dopamine-increasing medications for parkinsons can increase risk-taking behaviour, but dopamine-increasing medications for ADHD *reduce* the risk-taking behaviour associated with that condition.

[@catrionainglis5483]

Not me with a dopa-responsive dystonia just coming to hang out. Next time I tell someone I have a dopamine shortage and they think that just means I'm depressed i'll send them here maybe to start.

[@harrison1671]

More please

[@Locrian08]

Is "goes to" a region of the brain an appropriate term for endogenous neurotransmitters? My understanding (which may be incorrect) is that neurotransmitters are created in neurons and released at a neuron's synaptic cleft where they land in an adjacent synaptic cleft's receptor or are broken down by enzymes. For example a dopaminergic neuron in the Substantia Negra creates dopamine that is only released and broken down at that neuron's synapses. The medicine L-Dopa (or its metabolite) can be said to "go to" the Substantia Negra.

[@qzbnyv]

Dopamine is why I am in the Emergency Room right now. Painkiller addiction after a back injury -> Laws around that tightened so I swapped to an opioid cough syrup -> Medication-Assisted Teeatment with Suboxone -> ER with extreme constipation causing me chest pain when breathing. Huzzah! 🧙

[@AbsolXGuardian]

Ooof I hope you're okay, and that all you need is a night on the toilet and prescription strength laxatives. And you'll be able to find a medication regimen to help with your recovery.

[@brett4264]

ALWAYS take stool softeners when taking opioids! Didn't your dealer tell you this?

[@qzbnyv]

Haha thanks everyone. Between the magnesium citrate as a softener, the senna-based laxatives, and increasing the relatively high daily dose of Movicol (polyethylene glycol)…. I thought I’d be okay. But I’ve been extra sedentary lately due to COVID lockdown in my country/state and that was probably a contributing factor. Even an enema on Wed night and picoprep (err, pre colonoscopy meds) on Thu still just saw things get worse and so to the ER I went.

[@qzbnyv]

@@AbsolXGuardian tried that and it didn’t help! ER was the last resort after that as there was no position I could sit or sleep in without each breath being painful.

[@qzbnyv]

@@brett4264 never had a dealer, unless you count doctors and then those pharmacists licensed by the state

[@hsbswjwsb]

not to mention schitzofrenia and other psychosis cased by overactive dopamine in the mesolymbic pathway etc

[@Jobobn1998]

Okay, for real, is that shirt designed to cause The Dress phenomenon? Because my brain was definitely getting a similar vibe.

[@360.Tapestry]

it's the background color

[@SteveHazel]

more about the others please :)

[@UHFStation1]

What if anything does GABA do in the body? I have seen supplements that contain it and I don't think it crossses the BB Barrier.

[@TheZiiFamily]

Oh thats something I didn’t know about it

[@chuffin4]

Anyone have a link where I can buy some

[@PaintedDog]

Is this also why people that are dope sick (heroin withdrawals) get tremors? Cuz the lack of dopamine?

[@slmille4]

Odd that there’s no mention of the substantia nigra, which contains the dopamine neurons most affected by Parkinson’s

[@Lazer5051]

I have Tardive Dyskinia does that count?

[@Jolfgard]

My theory is that dopamine is the main modulator for emotional learning, but what the hell do I know?

[@DSNChaser]

I guess too

[@sasukeuchiha1718]

Cool!

[@FarhanAmin1994]

Thanks for ridding - or at least trying to rid - my decent and kind relative, Dope Amin, of their inaccurate, pop culture-driven stereotype :')

[@randywa]

Wait so is there something unique about dopamine or is it just the chemical that is received by the parts of the brain responsible for happiness, or movement or risk, etc? Like are dopamine and the other neurotransmitters just kinda like keys that just unlock different functions different parts of the brain? Or does their simple presence in the brain cause these effects?

[@unrealnews]

I mean, you’re right, but I have a tiny bit of anecdotal evidence leading me to believe that mucuna pruriens has alleviated a few of my depression symptoms (when used in combination with a few other supplements). It’s not a one stop shop, and there’s a fair bit of placebo effect to rule out before firm conclusions are made, but there’s something to be said for an approach wherein precursors to the necessary brain chemicals are supplied and breakdown of the necessary brain chemicals is inhibited.

[@thehandliesthandle]

ive used mucuna pruriens i have adhd. it very mildly helps with the laziness and cloudy mind i have, and doesnt get me high like meds. there is something to worry about with mucuna though and that is it possibly could shut down your natural production of L-dopa. surely it isn't any more dangerous than dopaminergic adhd medications, but there is a risk of dependancy with almost everything that has an obvious effect on the brain

[@meneeRubieko]

It has a lot to do with the specific dopamine receptor which is affected. For example the dopamine 2 receptor is exctitory while D1 is inhibitory. Way more complex than this 6 min vid

[@marionmetathink3234]

@SciShow Psych Can we talk about if there is a link between dopamine and ADHD because the things you describe relate in a slightly different but still close way to our experience of ADHD...

[@OhhowHelovesus777]

So I have ADHD and a rare movement disorder called PKD. I wonder if low dopamine has anything to do with it. It involves voluntary movement, except instead of not being able to initiate it like in Parkinson's, when I initiate it I get an excess of movement. So I go into spasms of involuntary movement most of the times I go to stand up. I take medicine for it now and it stops it almost completely.

[@_swordfern]

Dope

[@LapisGarter]

That's why I'm clumsy, impulsive and depressed?

[@wenweisu99]

there is also a thing called "culture" some are brought up to be compulsive gamblers while others from families wrecked by gamblers, will avoid gambling

[@fsihfhsifihsfshifhis]

If dopamine causes more impulsive behavior, why is ADHD, which is characterized by impulsive behavior, caused by low overall dopamine?

[@kairimasakaki5407]

it's not

[@christine1902]

I used to use dopamine inhibitors to lessen my psychotic symptoms. Now I have a small dopamine agonist, which works better with less side effects. Dopamine is weird man..

[@soulife8383]

I miss dopamine...

[@omarmkadam4243]

How dopamine causes happiness !

[@kyivstuff]

Interesting

[@avi12]

So basically dopamine is like the famous Steve Jobs presentation of the iPhone

[@milesprower8]

I have a dopeaneed for dopamine

[@DrZmile]

Love you men, to the core

[@Mr123MTNDEW]

So we can synthesize all of these brain chemicals but I am only allowed to go to Walgreens and buy melatonin, lame.

[@Butterfly-ADHD]

Could all the other diagnosis that tend to go with ADHD be caused by one problem, the lack of correct dopamine levels?

[@ghostinthesun]

nice shirt

[@iggysixx]

So logically, Amphetamines could treat symptoms of Parkinson's...? (Or ritalin, even? As a 'dopamine reuptake inhibitor') Also, is there a relation between Parkinson's and AD(H)D...? (Since both have decreased dopamine levels in common)

[@Nessafox4670]

From what i looked up, people with ADHD spectrum do have a higher risk of getting Parkinson's too. But i'm not 100% sure how reliable my information is so don't take my word from it.

[@iggysixx]

@@Nessafox4670 thanks a lot for your reply :). Knowing that I'm not alone in this thought, I'm going to try and dig for any information or studies about it. By the way, for my question about Amphetamines - I've found an answer; It turns out that 2 of the main medications for treatment of Parkinson's ARE in fact based on amphetamines... Among other sources, I found a published research paper from 1957 that describes the research process and results of amphetamines on the symptoms of Parkinson's. Thought that might be interesting to know :) (I forgot to post it when I found out) Thanks again!

[@Coop_Boop]

I have a dopamine deficiency

[@Phorlakh]

As someone with Segawa's dystonia, dopamine has been the cause of and solution to most of my life's problems lol

[@nickvinsable3798]

Why not nicotine? Preferably as a nasal spray that our nose hairs soak up & redistribute?

[@limalicious]

My dad has Parkinson's. It's a horrible disease.

[@Jay-ho9io]

Sorry..

[@sirdeadlock]

In short, for a binary chemical based computer; dopamine is a 1 rather than a 0.

[@ZentaBon]

This is why ADHD is considered a disability.

[@Gormoth1983]

See this was a good video 👀✔

[@eltrompas1641]

I used to get very gittery when high. Id get excited for something then had an urge to clap my handa or rub my nose intensely. It sttoped after I quit smoking but just made the connection of maybe why.

[@torguttormsyvertsen9088]

“If you are in a bad mood go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood go for another walk.” ― Hippocrates (460-370BC)

[@pulserock0]

This video feels censored & incomplete; I imagine it has to do with legalities.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

Agreed.

[@pulserock0]

@@DarkMoonDroid Is what a small small echo chamber : (

[@user-ov2fc5sd1e]

I thought this was common knowledge by now

[@arryaniser8416]

Curious how ADHD effects movement now. I am not clear on what actually is going on but i know dopamine is effected

[@6Twisted]

You mentioned low dopamine can cause restless leg syndrome and since being on SSRIs I haven't had it whereas before I'd often struggle to sleep because of it.

[@clarehidalgo]

I didn't have restless leg syndrome but when I was trying to sleep my body would be like "adrenaline time" and I'd be all alert for no good reason, the SSRI is helping with that

[@schuringleon3207]

Press 1:13 to hear Hank say degenerate

[@juliaf_]

Ah yes, one of the two ADHD hormones (along with norepinephrine) yet no mention of ADHD

[@glibaudiostories]

Isn't schizoaffective a result of too much dopamine?

[@chairwood]

The human body is a big mega obfuscated codebase. Why can't a single neurotransmitter stick to doing one job instead of multiple completely unrelated things...

[@DarkMoonDroid]

Watch lectures by Robert Sapolsky on this. Make popcorn.

[@Jay.B.2046]

for the algorithm

[@briansmith9439]

Sounds more like a drug commercial than education - such as how to affect dopamine levels without drugs. You failed to mention that dopamine is found in other parts of the body in concentrations that rival if not exceed those in the brain.

[@chelseanorris155]

So if dopamine affects attention, are we studying it's effects on adhd? I cant believe amphetamines are safer approach, especially in children.

[@DonKynos]

Dexedrine was great for about a year then it just royally fucked up my brain. Didn't always take it as prescribed though.

[@MerkleAkrunphleuphle]

dopamine > serotonin. SSRI's are horrible.

[@clarehidalgo]

People have different body chemistry, SSRI can help some people but not others, same with SNRIs

[@DarkMoonDroid]

I got fat and lethargic and unmotivated on an SSRI. It was horrible. It'd be great if Doctors believed that we're all different, however, if I don't let them prescribe me another SSRI, they're gonna accuse me of "drug seeking".

[@koviyovas8325]

cleopatra was not white

[@JustMeJH]

This felt like it focused too much on the pharmaceutical drug. SciShow does disclose its ads, so I don’t believe that this was an ad. I do believe that the writing on this topic could have been better edited and/or written to better focus on dopamine, including omitting the pharmaceutical-produced drug. The video feels hasty and thrown together.

[@CZ350tuner]

I have Parkinson's in the hands. This s the best (least worst) form to have, so I'm told. The latest theory on Parkinson's disease that it is caused by a hereditary Scandinavian gene that affects the quality of the blood brain filter membrane, allowing C-Diff bacteria into the brain, where it produces damaged proteins that then produce damaged proteins that block up & destroy dopamine generating cells, in a key part of the brain. The odds of having Parkinson's disease, in a white adult in their 50's, is 1 in 300. Aged 70 the odds drop to 1 in 35. Aged 100 the odds drop to 1 in 2. Parkinson's is a predominately "white privilege" disease, though mixed race people who have been unfortunate enough to inherit the Viking gene and become infected with C-Diff bacteria, can also have it. The odds of a mixed race person have Parkinson's is 1 in thousands. Vegan diets are extremely bad for accelerating the progress of Parkinson's, studies have revealed. A diet of dairy, wheat grain & red meat provides essential nutrients to slow the disease's progress.

[@mememachine171]

Regarding the last claim: which studied suggest that?

[@AugustERaven]

Hello world. From: ADHD individual...

[@tman1835]

Oh wow I'm Early early