Which neurotransmitter-related hypothesis is associated with schizophrenia?

• A. Dopamine Hypothesis
• B. Diathesis-Stress Model
• C. Humanistic Theory
• D. Cognitive-Behavioral Model

Answer: (A)

Dopamine signaling changes are central to understanding schizophrenia. The dopamine hypothesis proposes that excessive dopamine activity in the brain’s mesolimbic pathways contributes to positive symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, while reduced dopamine activity in the mesocortical pathway helps explain negative symptoms and cognitive difficulties. This idea is supported by evidence that stimulant drugs that raise dopamine can worsen or trigger psychosis, and that antipsychotic medications—especially those that block dopamine D2 receptors—tend to alleviate symptoms. Neuroimaging and pharmacological data showing dopaminergic dysregulation in individuals with schizophrenia further reinforce this neurotransmitter-focused explanation. The other options describe psychosocial or cognitive frameworks rather than a specific neurotransmitter mechanism, so they don’t address how brain chemistry relates to schizophrenia.