By Love Wilhelmina Abanonave
Elevated dopamine levels in specific areas of the brain can significantly increase the risk of hallucinations and delusions, according to Salim Wangabi, a clinical psychologist at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital.
Speaking on mental health conditions and schizophrenia on the GTV Breakfast Show, Wangabi explained the neurochemical basis behind some psychotic symptoms.
“When dopamine levels become too high in certain parts of the brain, the chances of hallucinations and delusions increase significantly,” he said.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in regulating mood, motivation, reward and movement. Wangabi noted that while dopamine is essential for normal brain function, an imbalance in certain brain pathways can disrupt perception and thought processes.
He also defined schizophrenia as a severe mental illness characterised by hallucinations, delusions and disorganised behaviour.
Research in psychiatry has long associated overactivity in the brain’s mesolimbic dopamine pathway with positive symptoms of psychosis, including hearing voices, seeing things that are not there and holding false beliefs.
Mental health professionals in Ghana have increasingly emphasised public education on the biological factors behind mental illness to reduce stigma and encourage early treatment.
The Greater Accra Regional Hospital provides psychiatric and psychological services as part of the country’s efforts to expand mental health care access under the Mental Health Act, 2012.
