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Dopamine gating of forebrain neural ensembles
Author(s) -
O'Donnell Patricio
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1460-9568.2003.02463.x
Subject(s) - neuroscience , dopamine , excitatory postsynaptic potential , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , medium spiny neuron , forebrain , dopamine receptor , postsynaptic potential , gating , dopamine receptor d2 , biology , receptor , chemistry , striatum , central nervous system , biochemistry
Dopamine may exert different actions depending on a number of factors. A common view is that D 1 receptors may be responsible for excitatory actions whereas D 2 receptors are involved in inhibitory actions. However, this position cannot be reconciled with several findings indicating otherwise. The role of dopamine on forebrain neural ensembles may be better understood in the light of functional states of the system. Pyramidal cortical neurons and striatal medium spiny neurons alternate between two membrane potential states (‘up’ and ‘down’) that could shape dopamine actions. It is proposed that D 1 receptors can act as state‐stabilizers by sustaining up states and thereby facilitating plasticity mechanisms by providing postsynaptic depolarization and increasing NMDA function. In this way, dopamine can sustain activity in depolarized units. This action is accompanied by a decrease in cell firing (perhaps mediated by D 2 receptors), which renders the cells responsive only to strong stimuli. The result would be a net increase in signal‐to‐noise ratio in a selected assembly of neurons.