What does dopamine do? 9 Functions at a glance
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Leesduur: 7 min
Dopamine is not a 'happiness hormone' as many people think, but rather a driver: It gets you moving, helps you persevere and links behaviour to reward .
Yet that's only a small part of the story. This remarkable substance influences all sorts of processes in your brain and body, often without you even realizing it.
In this article, you'll discover just how versatile dopamine really is, and why it has such a big influence on how you think, feel, and act.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and driving force behind behavior. It links actions to rewards and plays a vital role in movement and motivation.
In the prefrontal cortex, dopamine acts as a brake on impulses; in the reward system, it acts as an accelerator for alertness and action.
Dopamine influences nine functions, including motor skills, learning, focus, hormone balance, sleep-wake rhythm, decision-making, impulse control, and reward wanting.
What is dopamine?
Dopamine is a messenger substance. We also call it a neurotransmitter . These substances transmit signals between brain cells.
Your body produces dopamine in deep areas of the brain:
- The substantia nigra – Primarily involved in movement
- The ventral tegmental area (VTA) – Involved in motivation and reward
What does dopamine do?
Imagine this: You experience something important or enjoyable, a reward, an exciting moment, or the achievement of a goal. Then dopamine is released. It grabs your attention, spurs you into action, and teaches your brain, " I want to do this more often ."
Dopamine motivates you. It links behavior to expectations and rewards. That's why we call it an internal motivator .
Good to know : This can be healthy (such as with sports or learning something), but also excessive (such as with addiction or endless scrolling).
The dual role of dopamine: Brake and accelerator
Dopamine plays an interesting dual role: It can help you both pause and take action. How does this work? It depends entirely on where in your brain it's active.
In some areas, it helps you think and control impulses. In others, it accelerates your thinking: it makes you alert to rewards, stimuli, and pleasure.
- The brake - In your prefrontal cortex (the part that makes plans and decisions), dopamine helps you think and control your impulses. When I've slept well and my head is clear, I find it easier to say "no" to that extra cookie or to check my email when I'm working on something important.
- The accelerator - In your reward system (like the striatum and nucleus accumbens), dopamine does the opposite: It sensitizes you to stimuli and rewards behavior that feels good. When I have a lot on my mind or am tired, I notice I'm more likely to get stuck in things like aimlessly scrolling or suddenly having to buy something I really don't need.
In short : Dopamine controls both your motivation and self-control. When the system is balanced, it works fantastically. But if it becomes disrupted, for example, by stress, lack of sleep, or medication, you can more easily become impulsive or lose motivation.
Example
A good example of how dopamine can amplify impulses comes from research in people with Parkinson's disease. They are often given dopamine-like medications to improve their movement.
But in some of these people, the reward system in the brain becomes overactive. A meta-analysis shows that up to 17% of them develop an impulse control disorder , such as compulsive gambling, buying or binge eating. (1)
And what about the happiness hormone?
You sometimes hear that dopamine is the 'happiness hormone', but that's not true.
Dopamine is n't a hormone , and it doesn't directly cause happiness. Substances like serotonin and endorphins are responsible for that.
These are the 9 functions of dopamine
Dopamine is primarily known for motivation and reward, but it doesn't stop there. It also controls many other processes. Here are its 9 most important functions.
- Movement and motor skills - Dopamine helps you move smoothly. For people with Parkinson's, movement is more difficult due to a lack of dopamine. Medication helps restart this process. This clearly demonstrates how important dopamine is for your motor skills. (2)
- Motivation and reward - Dopamine gives you the drive to take action. Brain research shows that dopamine is released when you anticipate or achieve something rewarding. Without that signal, it becomes much harder to stay motivated or pursue goals. (3) (4)
- Learning and remembering what works - Dopamine helps your brain learn from things that feel good. A large meta-analysis shows that people remember rewards better, precisely because dopamine enhances the learning process. Without that effect, learning from positive feedback is much harder. (5)
- Attention and focus - Dopamine helps you maintain your focus. A large review study shows that people with ADHD often have genetic variations in dopamine receptors. This causes the dopamine system to function less effectively, which can lead to difficulty concentrating and being easily distracted. (6)
- Hormone balance - Dopamine has an inhibitory effect on the hormone prolactin. This hormone controls milk production, among other things, but also plays a role in fertility and libido. When there is too little dopamine, prolactin levels rise, which can lead to symptoms such as lactation (without pregnancy), menstrual irregularities, or a decreased sex drive. (7)
- Sleep-wake rhythm - Dopamine plays a key role in regulating your day-night rhythm. During the day, it helps you stay awake and alert. Dopamine production follows a natural rhythm that's attuned to light and your internal clock. This clock is located in your brain and ensures that dopamine is active at the right time. When this system functions well, you feel energetic during the day and can relax and sleep better in the evening. (8)
- Decision Making - Dopamine helps you make choices. It plays a role in how you weigh whether something is worthwhile. For example, if you have to choose between a safe option and a bigger reward with more risk, dopamine helps guide that choice. The more active your dopamine system, the more likely you are to take risks for a potential reward. (8)
- Impulse control - Dopamine helps you reflect on your choices and not immediately act on an impulse. But if the reward system becomes overactive, you can actually give in to temptation more quickly. Too much dopamine in the wrong place makes it harder to slow yourself down. I notice this, for example, if I drink too much coffee and haven't slept well, I become restless and distracted much more easily. (1)
- Experiencing pleasure - Dopamine doesn't necessarily make you enjoy something, but rather makes you want to do it again. Research shows that dopamine primarily drives desire (wanting), not the immediate pleasure (liking). Your brain learns this way: "This was worth it, I want to do it again." This is why dopamine plays a major role in motivation and addiction. (10) (11)
Dopamine in brief
Dopamine isn't a simple happiness button, but a multifaceted messenger that influences your behavior, mood, and thinking.
It directs your motivation, helps you learn, keeps you alert and determines whether you resist or follow an impulse.
Whether dopamine is a brake or an accelerator depends on where in your brain it is active and how well the system is balanced.
It is precisely this versatility that makes dopamine so important and interesting.
Ebrina van der Bijl
Ebrina is a nutritionist with a deep commitment to healthy eating and a sustainable lifestyle, based in beautiful Portugal. Her passion for natural and organic products is at the heart of her work. With a background in Nutrition & Dietetics and experience in product development and writing, she translates complex scientific information into practical advice for a balanced lifestyle.
Sources used
- Molde, H., Moussavi, Y., Kopperud, ST, Erga, AH, Hansen, AL, & Pallesen, S. (2018). Impulse-Control Disorders in Parkinson's Disease: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Case–Control Studies. Frontiers in Neurology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2018.00330
- Xing, Y., Tench, C., Wongwandee, M., Schwarz, S. T., Bajaj, N., & Auer, D. P. (2019). Coordinate based meta-analysis of motor functional imaging in Parkinson's: disease-specific patterns and modulation by dopamine replacement and deep brain stimulation. Brain Imaging And Behavior, 14(4), 1263–1280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-019-00061-3
- Weinstein, A. M. (2023). Reward, motivation and brain imaging in human healthy participants – A narrative review. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 17. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1123733
- Mohebi, A., Pettibone, J. R., Hamid, A. A., Wong, J. T., Vinson, L. T., Patriarchi, T., Tian, L., Kennedy, R. T., & Berke, J. D. (2019b). Dissociable dopamine dynamics for learning and motivation. Nature, 570(7759), 65–70. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1235-y
- Dugré, J. R., Orban, P., & Potvin, S. (2022). Disrupted functional connectivity of the brain reward system in substance use problems: A meta‐analysis of functional neuroimaging studies. Addiction Biology, 28(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.13257
- Li, D., Sham, P. C., Owen, M. J., & He, L. (2006). Meta-analysis shows significant association between dopamine system genes and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Human Molecular Genetics, 15(14), 2276–2284. https://doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddl152
- Dekkers, OM, Lagro, J., Burman, P., Jørgensen, JO, Romijn, JA, & Pereira, AM (2009). Recurrence of Hyperprolactinemia after Withdrawal of Dopamine Agonists: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Journal Of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 95(1), 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2009-1238
- Kim, J., Jang, S., Choe, H. K., Chung, S., Son, G. H., & Kim, K. (2017). Implications of Circadian Rhythm in Dopamine and Mood Regulation. Molecules And Cells, 40(7), 450–456. https://doi.org/10.14348/molcells.2017.0065
- Freels, TG, Gabriel, DBK, Lester, DB, & Simon, NW (2019). Risky decision-making predicts dopamine release dynamics in nucleus accumbens shell. Neuropsychopharmacology, 45(2), 266–275. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-019-0527-0
- Berridge, K. C., & Robinson, T. E. (2003). Parsing reward. Trends in Neurosciences, 26(9), 507–513. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0166-2236(03)00233-9
- Triscoli, C., Croy, I., Olausson, H., & Sailer, U. (2014). Liking and pleasant wanting odors: different effects of repetitive exposure in men and women. Frontiers in Psychology, 5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00526
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