Neurotransmitters Are Your Friends

Some Basics on Neurotransmission

• Neurotransmitters either excite or inhibit other neurons– Agonists bind to receptor cells and cause the cell

to respond, while antagonists inhibit the cell from responding.

• Can affect mood, memory decision making, problem solving and long term health

Serotonin

• CNS: regulation of mood• Obsessions and compulsions• Motivation/emotional responses• Anti-depressants are designed to selectively

block the re-uptake of serotonin in the brain

Dopamine

• CNS:basal ganglia motor loop• Memory, attention, problem solving• Released w/food and sex, pleasure and reward– Cocaine blocks the re-uptake of Dopamine

• Also released when we are anticipating or making predictions about what might occur in the future and adjusting expectations when we are right/wrong

Norepinephrine

• CNS: involved in hypothalamus with Hunger, also interacts with dopamine and Serotonin

• Alertness and Attention• Concentration and Energy• Anti-depressants will also target

Norepinephrine

Epinephrine

• CNS: readies body or fight/fight – increase HR, BP, Blood to skeletal muscles– Adrenaline acts as a neurotransmitter in the

central nervous system and as a hormone in the blood circulation.

Acetylcholine

• CNS/PNS: muscle contraction, sweating, fight/flight response back to normal (sympathetic/parasympathetic)

• Acts to help return to Homeostasis• Acts as an inhibitor to cardiac tissue• Is excitatory in skeletal muscles• Nicotine mimics acetylcholine, it fits into the

same chemical locks

GABA

• CNS: decrease neural activity• Acts as a depressant at the neural level• Decrease inhibitions/anxiety/tension• Alcohol mimics GABA

Glutamate

• CNS: Excitatory, long term memory and learning

• Essential for Long Term Potentiation (LTP) and encoding memory

• A precursor for the synthesis of GABA which helps explain the impaired cognitive functioning when drunk