Posted by djmmm on December 11, 2006, at 7:34:52
In reply to Dopamine does not always mean abusability, posted by psychobot5000 on December 10, 2006, at 21:08:12
> The brain is not really very well understood, but the direct connection between dopamine and pleasure is considered by many modern researchers an exaggeration, a mistake, or an oversimplification. Dopamine agonists have some potentiating action at particular types of dopamine receptors, and the experience and their uses are both quite different from abusable drugs that involve dopamine.
>
> I think the reason dopamine agonists aren't used much is the side-effects, combined with a lack of response from the highly-treatment-resistant patients who turn to them. They were developed for Parkinson's, which is a nasty disease--nasty enough that patients are willing to put up with a relatively large side-effect load for something that works. The posters on this board typically have not gotten much mileage out of them, though, and many complain of the damned somnolence, me included.
>
> Perhaps studies ought to be done on dopamine agonists for -treatment resistant- depression.Very true... however, I still think that dopamine acting drugs are still perceived as potentially abusable. We have all be programed to make the connection between dopamine->stimulation/euphoria-->abuse/addiction. Although this "connection" has been proven untrue with a variety of dopamine acting medications, this idea still carries over to research and development. There also seems to be this stigma against very effective medications, that just happen to make us feel good-- instead of anesthetized/apathetic. There is some good info on anhedonia and dopamine at [xxx]
poster:djmmm
thread:712252
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061206/msgs/712523.html