In which disorder is how a person’s brain activity typically observed as overactive in dopamine function?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in regulating mood, pleasure, and reward pathways in the brain. In schizophrenia, research has shown that there is an overactivity of dopamine in certain pathways of the brain, specifically in the mesolimbic area, which is associated with the experience of positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions. This overactivity can lead to the characteristic symptoms of the disorder, highlighting the relationship between dopamine function and schizophrenia.

In contrast, other disorders listed, such as substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, do not primarily feature overactive dopamine pathways as a core component of their pathology, although they may involve complex interactions with the dopamine system among other neurotransmitters. Therefore, schizophrenia is distinctly characterized by this specific alteration in dopamine function, making it the correct response to the question.