The mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system arises from perikarya in the ventromedial mesencephalon and innervates a number of cortical and limbic regions. It has become clear that this system is in many ways distinct from the relatively well- characterized nigrostriatal DA system. This is especially true with regard to its postulated physiological functions, and role in the pathophysiology of certain neuropsychiatric disorders. The proposed conference, sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences, will address the molecular, cellular and functional properties of the mesocorticolimbic DA system as they are distinct from those of the nigrostriatal DA system. In particular, the conference will evaluate data originating in basic research laboratories as they apply to the proposed involvement of the mesocorticolimbic DA system in certain neuropsychiatric disorders. The primary importance of this conference is to provide a forum that will allow basic and clinical research scientists to share their most recent data and hypotheses regarding the physiological and pathological role(s) of the mesocorticolimbic DA system. An entire conference devoted specifically to the mesocorticolimbic DA system has never been organized, and the recent proliferation of studies focused on this system would seem to indicate that such a conference would be useful for defining future research directions. This is particularly crucial considering the number of recent clinical studies attempting to critically evaluate the role of this DA system in certain psychiatric disorders, notably schizophrenia. This conference brings clinical and basic scientists together from divergent backgrounds, including anatomy, electrophysiology, neurochemistry, clinical neuropsychopharmacology and behavior. Another major goal of this conference is to provide an exchange of ideas that will: 1) summarize the state of knowledge in a rapidly evolving field, 2) collectively analyze these data in a multidisciplinary fashion and update old hypotheses or create new ones, and 3) identify productive and creative future research directions, with special emphasis on those that remain at the interface of basic and clinical research efforts.
