PHARMACOLOGY OF DOPAMINE SYSTEMS

National Institute On Drug Abuse

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The dopaminergic system is clearly implicated as important in mediating the effects of many drugs of abuse, as well as Parkinsons disease, and schizophrenia. Our studies have as their goals the determination of the functional significance of the dopamine system in normal functioning, as well as how it acts to subserve drug abuse. One specific objective is to better characterize the pharmacology of the various subtypes of CNS dopamine receptors. Included in this goal is the identification of drugs that act selectively and with high efficacy. In many cases the pharmacological tools for the study of these receptor subtypes in vivo and in vitro are limited. As a result, one further goal is the discovery of new synthetic entities that will allow analysis of the pharmacology of these dopamine receptor subtypes. Ongoing studies are directed at characterizing the effects of newly synthesized and highly specific dopamine D3 receptor antagonists. Studies are being conducted in order to discover the pharmacological and behavioral effects of treatment with these antagonists which should render the D3 receptors inactive.