Glutamatergic control over brain dopamine release in vivo and in vitro

Abstract

Substantial evidence supports an important role for the excitatory neurotransmitter l-glutamate as a modulator of dopaminerelease in the central nervous system. All of the established glutamate receptor subtypes identified to date have been implicated in the regulation of dopaminerelease. It appears that glutamate can exert both facilitatory and inhibitory controloverdopaminerelease and that this may be both phasic and tonic in nature. This regulatory role suggests that drugs acting at glutamate receptors may be potentially useful therapeutic agents in neurological disorders such as parkinsonism and schizophrenia.