IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v393y1998i6682d10.1038_30498.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Evidence for striatal dopamine release during a video game

Author

Listed:
  • M. J. Koepp

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

  • R. N. Gunn

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

  • A. D. Lawrence

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

  • V. J. Cunningham

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

  • A. Dagher

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

  • T. Jones

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

  • D. J. Brooks

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

  • C. J. Bench

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

  • P. M. Grasby

    (MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital
    Imperial College School of Medicine)

Abstract

Dopaminergic neurotransmission may be involved in learning, reinforcement of behaviour, attention, and sensorimotor integration1,2. Binding of the radioligand 11C-labelled raclopride to dopamine D2 receptors is sensitive to levels of endogenous dopamine, which can be released by pharmacological challenge3,4,5,6,7,8. Here we use 11C-labelled raclopride and positron emission tomography scans to provide evidence that endogenous dopamine is released in the human striatum during a goal-directed motor task, namely a video game. Binding of raclopride to dopamine receptors in the striatum was significantly reduced during the video game compared with baseline levels of binding, consistent with increased release and binding of dopamine to its receptors. The reduction in binding of raclopride in the striatum positively correlated with the performance level during the task and was greatest in the ventral striatum. These results show, to our knowledge for the first time, behavioural conditions under which dopamine is released in humans, and illustrate the ability of positron emission tomography to detect neurotransmitter fluxes in vivo during manipulations of behaviour.

Suggested Citation

  • M. J. Koepp & R. N. Gunn & A. D. Lawrence & V. J. Cunningham & A. Dagher & T. Jones & D. J. Brooks & C. J. Bench & P. M. Grasby, 1998. "Evidence for striatal dopamine release during a video game," Nature, Nature, vol. 393(6682), pages 266-268, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:393:y:1998:i:6682:d:10.1038_30498
    DOI: 10.1038/30498
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/30498
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/30498?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Michaela Rice & Alexis Lease & MaLia Walker & Kira Bailey, 2021. "Shooting Your Accuracy in the Foot? Examining the Short-Term Effect of Playing an Action or Strategy Video Game on Cognitive Control," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-13, July.
    2. Valerio Ricci & Domenico De Berardis & Giuseppe Maina & Giovanni Martinotti, 2023. "Internet Gaming Disorders and Early Onset Psychosis in Young People: A Case Study and Clinical Observations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-10, February.
    3. Geoffrey L. Ream & Luther C. Elliott & Eloise Dunlap, 2011. "Playing Video Games While Using or Feeling the Effects of Substances: Associations with Substance Use Problems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-20, October.
    4. Scott Cunningham & Benjamin Engelstätter & Michael R. Ward, 2016. "Violent Video Games and Violent Crime," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(4), pages 1247-1265, April.
    5. Yu-Fang Lin & Megan F. Liu & Mu-Hsing Ho & Yen-Kuang Lin & Yu-Ling Hsiao & Ming-Hsu Wang & Chia-Chi Chang & Jed Montayre, 2022. "A Pilot Study of Interactive-Video Games in People with Mild Cognitive Impairment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-14, March.
    6. Brice Corgnet & Roberto Hernán-González & Eric Schniter, 2015. "Why real leisure really matters: incentive effects on real effort in the laboratory," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 18(2), pages 284-301, June.
    7. Sally Radovick & Eli Hershkovitz & Aline Kalisvaart & Marco Koning & Kristine Paridaens & Maged N. Kamel Boulos, 2018. "Gamification Concepts to Promote and Maintain Therapy Adherence in Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency," J, MDPI, vol. 1(1), pages 1-10, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:393:y:1998:i:6682:d:10.1038_30498. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.