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Neurotransmitters CHART

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5 views

Neurotransmitters CHART

Uploaded by

elizabeth.arockiadass
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Common Neurotransmitters - KEY

Neurotransmitter Function Examples of Malfunctions


Enables Muscle Action (movement), Alzheimer’s disease: too little effects
Acetylcholine (Ach) Learning, Memory memory, Ach-producing neurons deteriorate
in hippocampus deteriorate causing memory
Excitatory problems

Botulism poison blocks Ach leads to paralyze


of respiratory muscles

Black Widow bite – too much - muscles in


violent convulsions

Dopamine Influences movement, learning, Excess dopamine receptor activity linked to


attention, and emotion schizophrenia (positive symptoms)
Inhibitory Movement and reward
Starved of dopamine, the brain produces
Strongly associated with reward tremors and decreased mobility of
mechanisms in brain Parkinson’s disease

Play part of rewarding property in


drugs like cocaine, alcohol, opium,
heroin, nicotine… THESE
INCREASE DOPAMINE
Undersupply – linked OCD, anxiety, mood
Serotonin Affects mood, hunger, sleep, and disorders(depression), anger control,
arousal, impulsivity insomnia, and suicide
Inhibitory
Prozac and other antidepressant increase
serotonin levels

Drink warm milk at night – help you sleep


because contains and amino acid that brain
uses to make serotonin (relax)

Plays a role in schizophrenia, may interact


with dopamine system to alter the way it
operates.

*Role in perception: LSD attaches to


serotonin receptor cites blocking perceptual
paths
Norepinephrine Helps control alertness and arousal Undersupply can depress mood
Mood, sleep, learning
Excitatory Oversupply – insomnia
Increases heart rate and slows
Aka Noradrenaline digestion during stress
Common Neurotransmitters - KEY

Neurotransmitter Function Examples of Malfunctions


GABA (gamma- A major (best known) inhibitory Undersupply linked to seizures, tremors, and
aminobutyric acid) neurotransmitter insomnia

Inhibitory Sleep; movement Anxiety, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy

Seems needed to keep neuron Too little GABA also may be anxiety drugs –
activity in check Valium works by enhancing effects of GABA

Too little GABA in some brain areas can be


epilepsy

Glutamate Major excitatory neurotransmitter Oversupply – over stimulate brain leading to


Excitatory migraines or seizures (why some avoid
Involved in memory MSG, monosodium glutamate, in food)

Most common in CNS – as much as Damage after stroke


½ of all brain neurons Sometimes brain damage or stroke leads to
excess and many more brain cells die than
Curiously…Actually toxic to neurons from original trauma
and an excess will kill them
ALS – (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) excessive
glutamate production.

Schizophrenia – lack of glutamate


production. (negative symptoms)

Many neurologists feel this is responsible for


many CNS diseases

Endorphins Released in response to pain or If brain is flooded with opiates like heroin
(endogenous vigorous exercise and morphine the brain may stop producing
these natural opiates
(produced within) Pain control
morphine) Short for Endogenous Lack of – no established disorder
morphine – built in
morphine This is the neurotransmitter responsible for
allowing bears and other animals to
Structurally similar to heroin and has hibernate. Heroin slows heart rate,
similar functions: pain reduction, respiration, and metabolism in general…
pleasure exactly what you need to hibernate… if you
were a bear. Heroin can slow it to nothing…
Opiods work by attaching at death or Permanent Hibernation
endorphin receptor site…
AGONISTS

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