# Dopamine and the treatment of Anhedonia



## S O L A R I S (Dec 24, 2009)

I was doing some research on the treatment options for Anhedonia. I am not sure what if there is a difference between the term Anhedonia and emotional numbing, but it is defined as the following:

Anhedonia - is an inability to experience pleasure from normally pleasurable life events such as eating, playing games, watching TV, social interaction or sexual activities. People with anhedonia have an incredibly flat mood. They can't react properly or feel anything. There is no variation of mood, making it difficult to take things forward.

I believe that Anhedonia and DP symptom of emotional numbing are correlated. From the discussions held in the alternative therapy section of the forum, an insight was put forth into the role of Dopamine in treatment of DP. I further found that there are psychopharmacology approaches to this as well.

Mirapex- pramipexole dihydrochloride, a drug used to treat restless leg syndrome and parkinsons, have been tested to treat this condition (anhedonia and depression) with some positive outcomes. It is a dopamine agonist, so I guess that means that it increase dopamine reserves in the brain. *Has anyone else gone on a dopamine increasing drug?* There has also been discussions/Tv ads about abilify/anti psychotics treating depression symptoms, I do not know much about it, but if it were true then wouldnt that contradict this theory? Ive been on anti psychotics briefly but no improvement. Im not eager to mess with such dopaminergic medications either.

I am just throwing this out there to get your responses, and hopefully start a discussion. Im no expert whatsoever, these are just hypotheses I wish to share with everyone. Below are a few links:

*Dopamine and reward: The anhedonia hypothesis 30 years on
http://www.springerlink.com/content/m622782177860qg2/

Effects of the dopamine agonist pramipexole on depression, anhedonia and motor functioning in Parkinson's disease
http://www.biopsychiatry.com/pramipexole-antidepressant.htm

Method for treating anhedonia using dopamine agonists 
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2005/0032806.html*


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## Tommygunz (Sep 7, 2009)

this is interesting. drugs that increase dopamine like wellbutrin, naloxone, and naltrexone have had some pretty good results in helping with DP. they have different mechanisms of action but the end result is more dopamine, which seems to be the common denominator in helping with DP.


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