Ventral Tegmental Area Dysfunction and Disruption of Dopaminergic Homeostasis: Implications for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

• Published in: Molecular neurobiology Vol. 58; no. 5; pp. 2423 - 2434
• Main Authors: Zhou, Peiling, Deng, Meiping, Wu, Jiashan, Lan, Qinghui, Yang, Huifang, Zhang, Changzheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.05.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Arousal; Avoidance behavior; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cell Biology; Cognitive ability; Dopamine receptors; Etiology; Homeostasis; Mood; Neurobiology; Neurology; Neurosciences; Post traumatic stress disorder; Risk assessment; Ventral tegmentum; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Dopaminergic homeostasis; Ventral tegmental area; Dopaminergic system
• ISSN: 0893-7648; 1559-1182
• DOI: 10.1007/s12035-020-02278-6

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition characterized by intrusive recollections of the traumatic event, avoidance behaviors, hyper-arousal to event-related cues, cognitive disruption, and mood dysregulation. Accumulating preclinical and clinical evidence implicates dysfunction of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic system in PTSD pathogenesis. This article reviews recent advances in our knowledge of the relationship between dopaminergic dyshomeostasis and PTSD, including the contributions of specific dopaminergic gene variants to disease susceptibility, alterations in VTA dopamine neuron activity, dysregulation of dopaminergic transmission, and potential pharmacological and psychological interventions for PTSD targeting the dopaminergic system. An in-depth understanding of PTSD etiology is crucial for the development of innovative risk assessment, diagnostic, and treatment strategies following traumatic events.