Emotion-recognition among people with disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or schizophrenia may be affected by changes in the levels dopamine in the brain, say researchers at the University of Birmingham.
Dopamine is a chemical messenger — often known as the ‘happy hormone’ — that carries signals controlling mental and emotional responses in the brain.
Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders are known for their links with low or disrupted dopamine levels that causes those affected to struggle with a number of social skills. This is the first time, however, that a positive connection has been made between dopamine and the ability to recognise emotions in others.
In a new study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, a team in the University’s Centre for Human Brain Health showed that manipulating levels of dopamine affected emotion recognition. More specifically,…
