reward deficiency syndrome

reward deficiency syndrome

A name for a relative failure of the dopaminergic system which plays a major part in brain-reward mechanisms. The syndrome, which has been linked to dysfunction of the D2 dopamine receptors, includes various conditions, such as drug and alcohol abuse, smoking, obesity, pathological gambling and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in which the subject seems to be unusually concerned to achieve reward. The D2 dopamine receptor gene is on chromosome 11 and has multiple allelic forms. Variants have been correlated with these and other reward-seeking behaviours.