Dopamine (DA) is a neurotransmitter intimately linked to cognitive and emotional processes, as well as to the pathophysiology and treatment of a variety of CNS disorders, such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease (PD) and drug abuse. For more than 25 years, the Dopamine Symposia have reviewed the progress in the fields of basic research and drug development at the highest scientific level. This year, the congress, which was attended by approximately 200 participants from academia and the pharmaceutical industry, was organized as a satellite symposium of the XIIIth IUPHAR Congress in Munich. There were 35 oral presentations and more than 100 posters, illustrating the current knowledge of physiological and pathophysiological functions of dopaminergic systems. Virtually all presentations focused on CNS effects of DA, neglecting its role in peripheral organs, clearly reflecting the focus of current interest. Since the cloning of five distinct DA receptor subtypes early this decade, the elucidation of their function and potential role as drug targets has been hampered by the lack of sufficiently selective tools. This gap is currently being filled by the advent of the first subtype-selective antagonists for DA D3 and D4 receptors, and by mice in which DA transporters or DA receptors are "knocked-out".