Basal Ganglia

[cwaranch]

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I am confused in the basal ganglia how dopamine binding to the D2 receptor inhibits the inhibition. I understand how the direct and indirect pathway works but not how dopamine ends up causing overall motion when it looks as if the d2 receptor causes inhibition.

 

[NeuroLAX]

You have to think about the action of dopamine at D1 vs D2 receptors in relation to the physiologic function of the specific basal ganglia components. Dopamine acts by stimulating the excitatory function of the direct pathway through D1 and inhibiting the inhibitory function of the indirect pathway through D2. This explains the way we use dopamine agonists in treating Parkinson's disease, which is a hypokinetic disease where lack of dopaminergic neurons leads to reduced activity of the direct pathway and overactivity of the indirect pathway.