Dopamine Therapy

Dopamine therapy regulates levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine, using either agonists or antagonists, to treat disorders characterized by a dopamine imbalance. Dopamine replacement therapy is an effective treatment for patients with reduced dopamine levels and has been shown to reduce symptoms and increase lifespan for patients with Parkinson's disease, where the death of dopamine-transmitting neurons in the substantia nigra region of the midbrain leads to the abnormal nerve-firing patterns that cause motor problems; dopamine receptor abnormalities have also been studied in patients with schizophrenia.