Increasing Dopamine Levels in Frontal Cortex of Brain Decreases Impulsive Tendency

Raising levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the frontal cortex of the brain significantly decreased impulsivity in healthy adults, in a study by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

“Impulsivity is a risk factor for addiction to many substances, and it has been suggested that people with lower dopamine levels in the frontal cortex tend to be more impulsive,” says lead author Andrew Kayser, PhD, an investigator at Gallo and an assistant professor of neurology at UCSF. “We wanted to see if we could decrease impulsivity by raising dopamine, and it seems as if we can.” Study results appear in the July 4 edition of Journal of Neuroscience. For more information, click here to read the full release.