A dopaminergic nerve fibre is a nerve fibre for which the neurotransmitter is dopamine; that is to say, it is triggered into firing when incident nerves that form a synapse with it releases dopamine into the synaptic cleft.
Dopaminergic nerve terminals are present in many brain nuclei, and are particularly associated with those that control emotional and motivational behaviour, as well as the control of movement. Disorders in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra in the basal ganglia of the brain are known to result in Parkinson's Disease.
Dopaminergic nerve terminals contain a number of uptake mechanisms for the transmitters that are released into the synaptic cleft. These uptake mechanisms are the target for numerous drugs.
Famous quotes containing the words nerve and/or fibre:
“our nerve filaments twitch with its presence
day and night,
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nothing we do has the quickness, the sureness,
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—Denise Levertov (b. 1923)
“I see now our fireside formed into a groupe, no one member of which has a fibre in their composition which can ever produce any jarring or jealousies among us. No irregular passions, no dangerous bias, which may render problematical the future fortunes and happiness of our descendants.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)