dopamine hypothesis

the influential theory that schizophrenia is caused by an excess of dopamine in the brain, due either to an overproduction of dopamine or a deficiency of the enzyme needed to convert dopamine to norepinephrine (adrenaline). There is some supporting pharmacological and biochemical evidence for this hypothesis, and it is still widely discussed and promoted, particularly in a revised form that postulates the involvement in schizophrenia of both an increased mesolimbic and a decreased prefrontal dopaminergic activity. See also glutamate hypothesis.

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Psychology term of the day

April 20th 2024

design trade-off

the situation in which one attribute of a system or product is made less usable because another attribute has been given priority. An example is the child-resistant safety cap. The press-and-turn requirement may be frustrating at times, but its purpose of preventing a child’s easy access to, and accidental ingestion of, harmful substances is considered to be a greater benefit.