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Brain Sciences
Special Issues
Role of Dopamine in Health and Disease
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Role of Dopamine in Health and Disease

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychiatry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2026) | Viewed by 2266

Editors

Prof. Dr. Anna Grzywacz

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Guest Editor
1. Department of Public Health, Epidemiology and Behavioral Genetics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstancow Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
2. Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, Gdansk University of Physical Education and Sport, Kazimierza Gorskiego 1 St., 80-336 Gdansk, Poland
Interests: genetics; addiction; epigenetics; dopamine system; sport
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Remigiusz Recław

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Public Health, Epidemiology and Behavioral Genetics, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstancow Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: behavioral addiction; dependency; sport; dopamine; genetics; spirituality

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Dopamine is a key neuromodulator involved in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes, including motor control, cognition, emotion regulation, motivation, reward processing, learning, and stress responsiveness. Beyond its classical role in reward and addiction, dopaminergic signaling is increasingly recognized as a fundamental mechanism contributing to both health maintenance and disease vulnerability across the lifespan.

Growing evidence indicates that alterations in dopamine-related pathways—shaped by genetic, epigenetic, developmental, environmental, and disease-related factors—are implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric, neurological, metabolic, and behavioral conditions. At the same time, adaptive dopaminergic functioning supports resilience, cognitive flexibility, personality development, physical activity, and other health-promoting behaviors.

This Special Issue, ‘Role of Dopamine in Health and Disease,’ aims to provide a broad and integrative platform for advancing our understanding of dopaminergic mechanisms across normal functioning and pathology. We invite contributions exploring dopamine-related processes from molecular and cellular levels to systems neuroscience, behavior, and clinical outcomes.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and conceptual papers addressing dopaminergic signaling in diverse contexts, including mental health, neurological disorders, addiction, metabolism, stress-related conditions, personality, motivation, physical activity, and behavioral regulation. Interdisciplinary studies using human or animal models are particularly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Anna Grzywacz
Guest Editor

Dr. Remigiusz Recław
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dopamine
  • dopaminergic signaling
  • reward and motivation
  • neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders
  • addiction and behavioral addictions
  • stress and resilience
  • emotion regulation and cognition
  • personality and individual differences
  • physical activity and motor function
  • genetic and epigenetic factors
  • neurobiology of health and disease

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 516 KB  
Article
DRD2 Ex8 rs6276 Polymorphism and NEO-FFI Personality Traits in Elite Athletes and Controls
by Remigiusz Recław, Milena Lachowicz, Jolanta Chmielowiec, Dariusz Larysz, Anna Grzywacz and Krzysztof Chmielowiec
Brain Sci. 2025, 15(9), 965; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15090965 - 5 Sep 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1184
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Personality traits influence motivation, self-regulation, and adaptation in high-performance sports, and are partially modulated by dopaminergic genetic variability. This study aimed to examine the association between the DRD2 Ex8 rs6276 polymorphism and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) personality traits in elite athletes and [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Personality traits influence motivation, self-regulation, and adaptation in high-performance sports, and are partially modulated by dopaminergic genetic variability. This study aimed to examine the association between the DRD2 Ex8 rs6276 polymorphism and NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) personality traits in elite athletes and non-athlete controls. Methods: A total of 323 participants were included: 141 athletes and 182 controls. Genomic DNA was isolated from venous blood, and DRD2 Ex8 rs6276 genotypes (A/A, A/G, G/G) were determined using real-time PCR with melting-curve analysis. Personality traits were assessed using the NEO-FFI, and group differences as well as genotype × group interactions were evaluated using multivariate analyses and non-parametric tests. Results: Athletes scored significantly higher on Conscientiousness than controls. A genotype × group interaction was observed for Extraversion, and the main effect of the genotype was found to be Agreeableness. Athletes with the A/A genotype exhibited the highest Extraversion scores, whereas those with the G/G genotype demonstrated higher Agreeableness than other genotypes. Conclusions: These findings indicate that dopaminergic variation contributes to individual differences in social and motivational traits, which may support athletic engagement and adaptation to high-demand environments. The results should be interpreted with caution due to the moderate sample size, deviation from the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in the athlete group, and reliance on a single personality assessment tool. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Dopamine in Health and Disease)
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Review

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14 pages, 823 KB  
Review
The Role of Gut Microbiota in the Pathogenesis of Obesity and Food Addiction: The Importance of the Gut–Brain Axis and the Dopaminergic System
by Marta Żebrowska-Gamdzyk, Napoleon Waszkiewicz and Sylwia Chojnowska
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(6), 650; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16060650 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 366
Abstract
Obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges worldwide and has reached the scale of a global epidemic. Its etiology is multifactorial and includes genetic, environmental, hormonal, and neurobiological factors. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the role [...] Read more.
Obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges worldwide and has reached the scale of a global epidemic. Its etiology is multifactorial and includes genetic, environmental, hormonal, and neurobiological factors. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the role of the gut microbiota in the regulation of energy metabolism, inflammatory processes, and the functioning of the gut–brain axis. An increasing body of evidence suggests that the gut microbiota may influence the dopaminergic system and eating behaviors through bacterial metabolites, immune pathways, and the vagus nerve. Disturbances in microbiota composition may contribute to the development of chronic low-grade inflammation and compulsive consumption of highly processed foods. This article discusses the concept of food addiction as a phenomenon involving loss of control over eating, excessive reward system reactivity, and dopaminergic dysfunction within the mesolimbic reward system. Particular attention is given to the role of the gut microbiota in modulating these processes, including the potential effects of selected commensal bacteria and the importance of dietary interventions such as the ketogenic diet in regulating the gut–brain axis. The presented data suggest that modulation of the gut microbiota may represent a promising supportive strategy in the treatment of obesity and disorders associated with compulsive eating. At the same time, it is emphasized that the current state of knowledge is largely preclinical and observational, highlighting the need for further translational and clinical studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Dopamine in Health and Disease)
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