Dopamine brain development

Thus, a GSH deficit has consequences consistent with the concept of functional disconnectivity, as hypofunction of NMDA-R and alteration of dopamine signaling have been observed. When imposed on animals during development, a GSH deficit induces also a structural disconnectivity, as revealed by the decrease in dendritic spines and parvalbumin-immunoreactivity of inhibitory intemeurons in the prefrontal cortex Finally, a transient GSH deficit during brain development causes deficits in visual recognition and olfactory integration. 

Most of these neurobehavioral effects presumably stemmed from changes in the development of several neurotransmitter systems caused by exposure to cannabinoids during critical prenatal and early postnatal periods of brain development. A large number of studies have demonstrated effects of cannabinoids on the maturation of dopamine (DA) (Fernandez-Ruiz et al. 1992, 1994, 1996 Walters and Carr 1988 Garcfa-Gil et al. 1998), serotonin (5-HT) (Molina-Holgado et al. 1997),... 

Interactions between Cannabinoids and Dopamine during Brain Development.277... 

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CANNABINOIDS AND DOPAMINE DURING BRAIN DEVELOPMENT... 

Methamphetamine is very addictive. Its use, even in small amounts, has been linked with damage to the dopamine-producing cells in the brain it also affects brain development in the fetus of pregnant women who are meth-users. At low levels, methamphetamine is a stimulant. It promotes the release of above-normal amounts of the important neurotransmitter dopamine (see pl69), which stimulates regions of the brain linked with vigilance, as well as the action of the heart. 

Lakshmana MK, Raju TR. 1994. Endosulfan induces small but significant changes in the levels of noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin in the developing rat brain and deficits in the operant learning performance. Toxicology 91(2) 139-50. 

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