Dopamine is released in the striatum during human emotional processing.
As the role of dopamine in human emotional processing is unclear, we used a dynamic molecular imaging technique to examine whether striatal dopamine is released during processing of negative emotions in healthy volunteers. After volunteers have received an intravenous injection of a dopamine receptor ligand C-raclopride, they were asked to perform a task that elicited negative emotions. During task performance the ligand concentration was measured dynamically using a positron emission tomography camera. Analysis of the data indicated that the task performance is associated with dopamine release in the head of caudate and in the dorsal putamen bilaterally.
Department of Psychiatry, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA. rbrb@buffalo.edu
Rajendra D
RD
Badgaiyan
D000328:Adult; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism; D011699:Putamen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging
D008024:Ligands; D004298:Dopamine