Dopamine is used by the CNS to support which function?

• A. Pleasure and reward
• B. Digestion
• C. Voluntary movement
• D. Immune response

Answer: (C)

Dopamine’s prominent role in the brain is to help control voluntary movement. In the basal ganglia, dopamine from the substantia nigra acts on striatal receptors to modulate two pathways: it facilitates the direct pathway and dampens the indirect pathway, which together promote smooth initiation and execution of movement. When dopamine is lost, as in Parkinson’s disease, movement becomes slow and stiff, illustrating how central this function is. While dopamine is also involved in reward processes in other brain circuits, the option that best captures its supported CNS function among these choices is its role in facilitating voluntary movement. Digestion and immune responses are not primary CNS roles of dopamine.