Dopamine and Nutrition
A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurobiology and Clinical Neuroscience".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 2367
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The neurotransmitter dopamine is relevant for guiding behavioral choices and impacts profoundly on eating behaviour and nutrition. Compromised dopaminergic signaling is not only related to a number of psychiatric and neurological pathologies such as ADHD, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia or depression, but also to overweight and obesity.
Nutrients and natural compounds have the potential to impact on dopaminergic transmission. Both potentially detrimental as well as beneficial effects have been observed. How specific nutrients affect the dopamine system is currently a topic of great interest, and research is conducted in a variety of disciplines and across species to find the underlying mechanisms.
A range of direct and indirect mechanisms have been suggested: Dietary fat and sugar and their metabolites have been shown to modulate dopaminergic signalling in the brain. Dopaminergic neurons in the gut signal to the central nervous system through the vagus nerve, which in turn stimulates the release of central dopamine. More indirectly, diet not only affects the gut microbiota composition and, thus, signalling via the gut-brain axis, but also the availability of dopamine precursors such as tyrosine and phenylalanine. In addition, diet impacts on the release of signalling molecules associated with chronic low-grade inflammation, which in turn is a risk factor for a range of diseases and disorders. Neuroinflammation is found in many disorders associated with disruption of dopaminergic functions. These mechanisms are unlikely to be independent. Work on interactions between them and interactions with other neurotransmitter systems are of immense interest.
Recent research suggests that diet can have both immediate and longer-lasting effects on the brain's dopamine system. However, the specific effects of the “what” and the “when” of eating, as well as fasting, on dopamine dynamics in the brain remain to be unravelled. Important unanswered questions are the duration and reversibility of these effects as well as the therapeutic potential of dietary styles, specific nutrients and food components.
We welcome contributions on the effects of specific nutrients, diets and eating styles on the dopamine system and the mechanisms by which they exert their effects on the dopamine system and associated cognition and behaviour. Both original research articles and concise review articles are considered for publication.
Dr. Annette Horstmann
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- nutrients
- dopamine
- diet
- cognition
- brain
- fasting
- plasticity
- gut microbiome
- nutrient sensing
- genetics
