Dopamine: A Social Neurotransmitter

Patel, Vraj

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/126840 Copy

Description

Title

Dopamine: A Social Neurotransmitter

Author(s)

Patel, Vraj

Issue Date

2024

Keyword(s)

• dopamine
• neurotransmitters
• social interaction

Date of Ingest

2025-03-23T19:34:18-05:00

Abstract

Humans live in a social world. We constantly exercise the social aspect of the mind in our everyday lives, face-to-face with others, in large group settings, and even online. Social interactions are critical to human life; without them, we may not be considered "human". Social interactions involve many parts of the brain, both in performing them and their outcomes. Dopamine plays an interesting role in the outcomes of social interactions. It is a neurotransmitter involved in pleasure, satisfaction, motivation, and body movements (Costa & Schoenbaum. 2022). Dopamine mainly functions in a brain pathway involved in motivation: the mesocorticolimbic pathway. Originating in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), dopaminergic neurons-- neurons that release dopamine-- project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This pathway allows for producing and maintaining feelings of motivation and desire (Reynolds & Flores, 2021). Such feelings may arise during social situations, impacting our interactions and promoting the necessity of sociality in humans (Krach et al., 2010). The focus of the discussion is on the connection between social environments and dopamine pathways.

Publisher

University of Illinois Undergraduate Neuroscience Society

Type of Resource

text

Genre of Resource

article

Language

eng

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2024 Vraj Patel

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