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Concept

Dopamine

A molecular structure resembling dopamine, with red spheres connected by thin lines against a dark background, symbolizing its role as a neurotransmitter and precursor to other hormones.

A small catecholamine neurotransmitter and also a precursor of noradrenaline and adrenaline. Synthesised from the amino acid tyrosine in scattered midbrain nuclei, dopamine signals the gap between expected and received reward; it underwrites motivation, motor control and the learning of new habits. Its loss in the substantia nigra produces Parkinson's disease; its dysregulation is central to addiction and to several models of schizophrenia.

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