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Uses for the Drug Dopamine

Dopamine is used for many medical conditions. It works by increasing the strength of the pumping the body exerts to get adequate blood supply to the heart and the kidneys. It is also used for Parkinson's disease and less frequently for ADHD.

  1. Function

    • Dopamine is used to treat shock and low blood pressure that may have resulted from injury, surgery, infections or trauma. It is used to improve heart function when the blood supply has been compromised.

    Significance

    • Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. It greatly impacts and significantly influences motor and thinking regions in the brain. When dopamine levels decrease, motor functioning and thought process can be impaired.

    Potential

    • Dopamine is used to treat Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease patients exhibit low dopamine levels in the brain that can cause stiffness, muscle rigidity, a stooped posture, loss of balance, difficulty walking, slurred speech, slow movements, frozen facial features and cognitive impairments.

    Considerations

    • In a child or an adult with low levels of dopamine, ADHD can result. Low levels of dopamine disrupt the ability to focus and to pay attention.

    Warning

    • High levels of dopamine are linked to paranoia, phobias and addictions. It can cause the inability to face reality in addition to causing noises to become amplified and turning up all the senses in the body.

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