Norepinephrine-Dopamine Interactions and Behavior

The proposed hypothesis is that the deleterious behavioral effects of decreased DA activity may be counterbalanced by a similar decrease occurring in NE activity, such compensation being most likely to occur under conditions of stress.

Abstract

The proposed hypothesis is directed toward explaining a number of disparate findings in terms of a stress-related interaction between the NE- and DA-containing systems in the brain. The deleterious behavioral effects of decreased DA activity, for example, may be counterbalanced by a similar decrease occurring in NE activity, such compensation being most likely to occur under conditions of stress. This hypothesis may have application to the understanding of neurological and mental disorders such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.