He said negative symptoms are caused by low dopamine in certain brain areas and positive symptoms are caused by high dopamine in other brain areas like the striatum. Is he right? What if its permanent brain damage and he’s lying?
Im testing his hypothesis by asking for Strattera which only increases dopamine in the prefrontal cortex.
Well, I doubt he’s lying but there is such a thing as SZ negative symptoms and I don’t think that you necessarily have to be on a drug to get them. If they weren’t negative symptoms of Sz they’d be called “drug side effects” instead of negative symptoms of sz.
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tbh i don’t think he is lying but i think they don’t really know why it’s happening all…
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This is responsible for energy, motivation, concentration and working memory
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From what I have read, dopamine levels are one of the keys to understanding schizophrenia
As far as I know, they don’t have medications that only affect particular parts of the brain. Hopefully they can develop these smart drugs, to ease symptoms with less side effects
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I don’t think dopamine is too high in absolute concentrations, but due to abnormalities in NMDA-glutamate neurotransmission, dopamine is functionally too high in the limbic area, and too low in the prefrontal cortex. So, I think in essence your psychiatrist is right.
-Albert.
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I believe that negative symptoms are caused by low dopamine and serotonin but I don’t know how high dopamine causes positive symptoms.
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Well I will find out if this is true by trying Strattera:
In rats, atomoxetine increased prefrontal cortex catecholamine concentrations without altering dopamine levels in the striatum or nucleus accumbens; in contrast, methylphenidate, a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, was found to increase prefrontal, striatal, and accumbal dopamine levels to the same degree. In mice, atomoxetine was also found to increase prefrontal catecholamine levels without affecting striatal or accumbal levels.
This is dopamine and norepinephrine.
I think some symptoms might be attributable to Ap’s because of dopamine but the negative symptoms of sz are real on their own. I know I felt horrible on Invega and feel better on a low dose of abilify. I think maybe your doctor is using the wrong terminology. Theres “negative symptoms” of sz and theres drug side effects. Calling them “negative symptoms” is wrong IMO.
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He said negative symptoms are caused by sz which is caused by low dopamine in some brain parts before being put on meds. He never said that meds worsen negative symptoms.
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My negative symptoms started 2yrs before being diagnosed and put on meds.
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I guess the meds too may worsen sz negative symptoms but he didn’t want to say it so I dont stop them.
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Invega made my Anhedonia worse.
It’s all confusing and hard to sort out.
But the fact that AP’s can cause/make anhedonia worse is not really disputed I don’t think
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Anhedonia is also a negative symptom of sz so…
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Honestly I don’t think that there is enough accurate studies on “negative” symptoms.
Many doctors are confused themselves.
Well at least for me I think that it’s the risperdal that’s causing my anhedonia and avolition.
That and depression.
But in all honesty I don’t have schizophrenia.
I’m also not in great health and I’m older now so these also could be contributing factors.
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I’m AA
Mechanism
- Lower activity levels of COMT protein, higher dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex (brain) (AA)
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Interesting, they tested schizophrenics.
I think I have adhd, which might mean low dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, which affects decision making and higher cognitive functions. My hypothesis is that I personally have high dopamine in other areas that may cause hallucinations, but my lack of focus is due to the opposite problem in the prefrontal cortex.
Id be interested to see if strattera helps. Im pretty desperate to be normally functioning or close to it
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