TY - JOUR T1 - Functional Coupling within the Mesolimbic Circuit in First-Episode Psychosis JF - eneuro JO - eNeuro DO - 10.1523/ENEURO.0097-21.2021 VL - 8 IS - 2 SP - ENEURO.0097-21.2021 AU - Or Duek Y1 - 2021/03/01 UR - http://www.eneuro.org/content/8/2/ENEURO.0097-21.2021.abstract N2 - Psychosis disorder is a debilitating disorder characterized by multiple admissions to psychiatric care facilities, higher unemployment rates, and decreased life expectancy. All of which create a high burden on the patient, their family, and the healthcare system. Understanding the basic mechanisms of psychotic disorder is essential for early discovery and facilitating better care for those suffering from it (Correll et al., 2018).The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia (Howes et al., 2009) suggests that dysregulation in dopamine signaling is the main cause of psychosis. Consistent with this theory, the ventral-tegmental area (VTA) is a pivoting region in psychosis in both animals and humans (Modinos et al., 2015). Individuals suffering from psychosis have elevated dopaminergic activity in the VTA. Such dysregulations were also found in prodromal syndromes (before full-blown development of psychosis; Howes et al., 2009), suggesting a causal effect of … ER -