By Michelle Jaffee
In a new review, MBI researchers examine current knowledge on the role of dopamine in social behaviors and how its dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism and depression could influence social interactions.
In the journal Pharmacological Reviews, Nancy Padilla-Coreano, Ph.D., and Freddyson Martínez-Rivera, Ph.D., delve into recent studies in rodents, primates and humans illuminating mechanisms of dopamine, the so-called “feel-good” neurotransmitter. They highlight critical gaps in the literature in four main social domains: reward, decision making, stress and dominance.
“Neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders impact social behaviors, which results in reduced quality of life,” said Padilla-Coreano, an assistant professor in UF’s Department of Neuroscience. “Current treatments for social dysfunctions are limited by our lack of knowledge regarding how the brain regulates and controls social interactions.”
The review provides a guide for a wide range of disciplines — from behavioral neuroscientists to molecular biologists — and includes opportunities for future research.
Among their many findings, Padilla-Coreano and Martínez-Rivera report a discrepancy in current knowledge of dopamine function in different brain regions during the perception of social rewards. While much is known in this context for the striatum — a region critical to movement and reward processing — less is known for the prefrontal cortex, a hub for executive function, Padilla-Coreano said.
“This is important because the prefrontal cortex is involved in guiding social decision making,” she said.
The review also explored new high-tech ways to manipulate brain circuits and molecular biology in preclinical models to further understanding of dopamine release in social interactions, in both good health and dysfunction.
Addressing some identified gaps, Padilla-Coreano’s lab is investigating how dopamine in the prefrontal cortex affects the representation of social cues and influences social decision making, while Martínez-Rivera’s lab is investigating how social stressors and drug seeking modulate genetic expression in dopamine circuits.