Posted by Maximus on August 29, 2004, at 14:49:10
In reply to Re: Role of Dopamine in anhedonia?(chemist, linkadge), posted by zuzu80 on August 29, 2004, at 14:24:14
> Medicines can work in contradictory ways. I don't know much about Ritalin. But the fact that Seroquel is an antagonist doesn't necessarily means that it works as such at the dose you're taking (suppose it's a low one???). I use Amisulpride which is also an antagonist of Dopamines D2/D3 receptors. But at the dose I am taking (very low) it has more affinity to presynaptic receptors (called autoreceptors). If these are blocked then the release of Dopamine gets ENHANCED. So this drug has contradictory effects at low/high doses. Maybe it's the same with yours.
>
> Dopamine (DA) is involved with reward and pleasure. If the Dopamine system works optimally then it becomes quite easy to get rewarded, and in fact one can see anhedonia as a difficulty with feeling reward. Here's the connection between DA and anhedonia.
>
> An interesting observation is that Extroverts have a boosted DA system (esp at D2 receptors) and it's believed that the Extrovert gets easily rewarded (such as in social interactions) hence their Extroversion.
>
> ChristineHi Christine,
Thanks for your explanation. For what it is worth i'm taking 75 mg of Seroquel. It is a low dose. Seroquel is mainly a D2, 5HT2a and H2 antagonists at all dosage.
I'm bp II and i'm taking it to maximize my Effexor and Lamictal. It works well.
What i don't understand is that schizophrenics have also anhedonia. I always thought schizophrenics had too much dopamine...
Too much dopamine in *certains regions* of the brain perhaps?
Could you help me on this?
Thanks
poster:Maximus
thread:383680
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040825/msgs/383727.html