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Dopamine systems and biological rhythms: Let's get a move on
Qijun Tang1, Dina R Assali2, Ali D Güler1,3,4
1Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States.
Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience
|August 15, 2022
Summary
Dopamine signaling influences biological rhythms like activity and feeding. While dopamine plays a role, further research is needed to confirm its direct role as a circadian pacemaker, especially concerning reward and movement.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Dopamine signaling is increasingly recognized for its role in regulating biological rhythms.
- Key brain regions involved include the suprachiasmatic nucleus, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review experimental evidence on dopamine's role in mediating various biological rhythms.
- To differentiate dopamine's influence on circadian rhythms from its role in motor activity and reward.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing experimental studies on dopamine signaling and biological rhythms.
- Analysis of dopamine's function in photoentrainment, activity cycles, and feeding behaviors.
Main Results:
- Dopamine signaling is implicated in photoentrainment, activity cycles, rest-phase eating, diet-induced obesity, and food anticipatory activity.
- Rhythmic gene expression in dopamine neurons does not automatically confirm them as circadian pacemakers.
Conclusions:
- Dopamine's causal role in circadian rhythms, particularly those linked to food and reward, warrants further investigation.
- Future research should differentiate the roles of specific dopamine subpopulations and receptor-expressing neurons in mediating biological rhythms related to feeding, reward, and activity.
Keywords:
circadiandiet-induced obesity (DIO)dopaminefeedingfood entrained oscillator (FEO)food entrainmentmethampetamineMore Related Videos
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