Possible Interaction: Dopamine and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid

“The largest decrease in tardive dyskinesia symptoms occurred in patients receiving higher neuroleptic doses, suggesting an interaction between GABA and dopamine.”

“It also has been found that raising GABA levels can antagonize the rapid elevation and release of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, which is responsible for the reward response in addiction.”

“We also examined the role of this dopamine– GABA interaction for the termination of working memory and found that the extent of GABAergic excitation needed to reset the PFC network begins to occur when the activity of fast-spiking interneurons surpasses 40 Hz.”

“Thus, the opposing actions of synaptically released GABA and DA are functionally integrated by Ih to generate an inhibition-to-excitation “switch” in ETCs.”

“Schild plot analyses of the inhibitory actions of dopamine and serotonin on currents elicited by GABA showed slopes of 2.7 ± 0.3 and 6.1 ± 1.8, respectively, indicating a noncompetitive mechanism of inhibition.”

“Cortical glutamatergic systems provide important regulation of dopamine function, and inhibitory amino acid gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) systems can modulate basal dopamine and glutamate release.”

“In the case of the STN, suppression of GABA release by dopamine appears to exert a paradoxical action to reduce the burst firing that may be associated with symptoms of Parkinson's disease.”

“ GABA uptake blockade (nipecotic acid) significantly enhanced the GABA-mediated depression of hyperactivity induced by bilateral injection of dopamine into the nucleus accumbens.”

“These GABA neurons mediate inhibition from cortical afferents to both the major input and output station of the amygdala, are inhibited during action of dopamine via D1 receptors, and are thus likely to represent important cellular players during dopaminergic disinhibition related to increased affective behavior.”

“ GABA interacts with dopamine functionally in certain areas of the brain involved in motor behavior such as the nucleus accumbens and the substantia nigra.”