STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS OF THE DOPAMINE HYPOTHESIS



DOPAMINE HYPOTHESIS

Use two different highlighters to identify the points that support the hypothesis and those that do not.

| | |

|Amphetamines give similar symptoms to those of excess dopamine |Phenothiazines (a group of drugs including chlorpromazine) |

| |block dopamine receptors |

| | |

|Pet scans show Schizophrenics are more sensitive to |Drugs such as L-Dopa give psychotic symptoms |

|amphetamines | |

| | |

|Some genes are link to dopamine production |Brain differences in the front and temporal lobes seem to be |

| |different for schizophrenics. |

| | |

|PET scans have shown that drugs that block dopamine don’t |Anti-schizophrenic drugs take a few days to work |

|always reduce the symptoms | |

| | |

|PET scans allow us study how dopamine works in living patients |Excess of dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway seems to be most |

| |relevant in understanding schizophrenia |

| | |

|Amphetamines produce positive symptoms |There are different types of dopamine receptors in different |

| |areas of the brain |

| | |

|Angel dust mimics the neurotransmitter glutamate which also |Stressful events in life can trigger excess production of |

|causes psychotic symptoms |dopamine. |

Extension: Using evaluation points above, and the studies on the handouts, create a plan to answer the following question:

| |

|Discuss the Dopamine Hypothesis as a suitable explanation for the cause of schizophrenia [12] |

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