Posted by zeugma on August 17, 2004, at 14:46:24
In reply to Re: sometimes too much dopamine causes anhedonia, posted by SLS on August 17, 2004, at 7:15:51
dopamine appears to be more closely related to motivation than anhedonia. Animals that are given high doses of neuroleptics still experience stimuli as 'rewarding' (at least that's what my source says, and who am I to doubt him?) but don't go out of their way to get them. for what it's worth, when I was on a neuroleptic I did not experience anhedonia, but I could barely get out of bed. I experienced exactly the same feeling on doses of buspirone above 30 mg, which has mild D2 blocking properties. No anhedonia, just extraordinary fatigue. The only time I have ever experienced severe anhedonia was on Strattera, which stimulates the kappa opioid receptor. The opiate system is probably more involved with the direct experience of pleasure than dopamine is, although the opiate sytem seems to interact with dopamine and particularly NE, given the TCA's powerful effects on chronic pain.
poster:zeugma
thread:378374
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040817/msgs/378774.html