Dopamine and schizophrenia: an analysis of the theory

Abstract

The postulated relationship of dopamine to schizophrenia ranks among the most important contemporary theories pertinent to the biological bases of behavior. However, as an examination of the relevant research literature makes clear, the theory has not yet been convincingly validated. This lack of validation is due, in part, to a failure to address the following questions: Is dopamine hyperactivity an etiological and/or a symptom factor in schizophrenia; do laboratory measures used to test the theory truly parallel the relevant clinical phenomena; is attenuated dopamine activity a necessary and/or sufficient condition for remission of schizophrenic symptoms? Analysis of these questions not only provides a departure point for examining the theory, but sets the stage for a reformulation of the theory itself.