Abstract:

This review will examine how dopamine, a monoamine neurotransmitter, and adenosine, a neuromodulator, regulate behavioral activation, primarily as reflected by locomotor activity, in rodents. Complex interactions among 2 major types of adenosine receptors (A₁AR and A_2AAR) and 2 dopamine receptors (D₁R and D₂R) occur due to physical interactions that alter their ligand-binding properties and subsequent effects on common postreceptor signaling molecules. The output from these interactions in striatum modulates neurotransmission and subsequently influences spontaneous locomotor activity. Caffeine is a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist that blocks 2 major types of adenosine receptors, A₁AR and A_2AAR, in the brain. Pharmacologic manipulation of these receptors with drugs such as caffeine offers potential therapeutic benefit for treatment of Parkinson disease.

Document Type: Miscellaneous