Dopamine's role in the Psychological Architecture of Pleasure and Reward

Dopamine's role in the psychological architecture of pleasure and reward indicates that it is a major element in the determination of reinforcement (Arias-Carrión & Pöppel, 2007, p. 484). This role was postulated from the discovery of dopamine in reward pathways that are found originating from the midbrain (2). From these discoveries, it has been shown that dopamine has a profound impact upon the existence of “reward-seeking behaviors” (Arias-Carrión & Pöppel, 2007, p. 481). A 2006 study done by Mathias Pessiglione and his colleagues demonstrated that subjects given L-DOPA, a precursor to dopamine, were more likely to remember decisions that led to rewards and continue to make those decisions (3). While the experiment central to this study was conducted in the form of a gambling game, the effects that dopamine has on decision making and reinforcement can be derived from the observed effects that L-DOPA had on the participants. This derivation can be made not only because L-DOPA is synthesized into dopamine once in the brain but also because gambling is an illuminative behavior in terms of how it represents general reward-seeking behaviors and decisions. As Óscar Arias-Carrión and Ernst Pöppel put it, “DA [dopamine] is the brain's mean for reinforcing behavior” (Arias-Carrión & Pöppel, 2007, p. 486). Furthermore, it has also been shown through experimentation that the responsiveness of dopamine levels in the brain to rewarding experiences is characterized by a degree of neuronal plasticity (4). In this context, “plasticity” refers to the brain's ability to alter its responses to experiences in accordance with how new or unique the experience is. This quality can help the brain to act as a sieve, filtering out experiences that are n...

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...re rapid release of dopamine into the synapse (13). While these mechanisms are different, both essentially achieve the same end result of euphoria, wakefulness, and increased motor activity. These symptoms mirror those of a person with high levels of dopamine, as is seen in psychotic patients. Indeed, high doses of stimulants can even lead to psychotic states involving hallucinations. The contrasting effects of antipsychotics and stimulants on not only behavior but also cognition and physiological processes help to generate a greater understanding of the way that dopamine affects both the mind and the body. While the many nuances and subtleties of dopamine neurotransmission are not well understood, observation of the way that psychoactive drugs influence dopamine's normal functioning can help to create stronger links between this neurotransmitter and human behavior.