Tuberoinfundibular pathway
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
File:Tuberoinfundibular pathway.svg
Tuberoinfundibular pathway shown in opaque blue, connecting that hypothalamus with the pituitary gland.
The tuberoinfundibular pathway refers to a population of dopamine neurons in the arcuate nucleus (aka "infundibular nucleus") in the tuberal region of the hypothalamus that project to the pituitary median eminence (the "infundibular region").[1] It is one of the four major dopamine pathways in the brain. Dopamine released at this site regulates the secretion of prolactin from the anterior pituitary gland.
Some antipsychotic drugs block dopamine in the tuberoinfundibular pathway, which can cause an increase in blood prolactin levels (hyperprolactinemia). This can cause abnormal lactation (even in men), disruptions to the menstrual cycle in women, visual problems, headache and sexual dysfunction.
Other dopamine pathways
Other major dopamine pathways include:
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
