EB - Neurotransmitters

Question 1

What are the ventricles? (2)

Answer 1

• Four freely communicating, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) filled cavities
• Enlargement seen in neuropsychiatric disorders

Question 2

What are the functions of the left and right cerebral hemispheres?

Answer 2

• Left Hemisphere: Abstract, analytical thought, calculation, linguistic ability
• Right Hemisphere: Comprehending spatial patterns, complex sounds (e.g., music)

Question 3

What is the function of the thalamus? (4)

Answer 3

• Relay station for sensory information
• Provides afferents to the neocortex and receives input from it
• Forms part of a circuit with the striatum
• Controls input to the cortex

Question 4

What is the role of the basal ganglia? (2)

Answer 4

• Extrapyramidal motor control
• Initiation and fine-tuning of movement

Question 5

What is the function of the limbic system?

Answer 5

Regulates emotions and behavior

Question 6

What structures may be included in the limbic system? (6)

Answer 6

• Hippocampus
• Fornix
• Mammillary body
• Thalamus
• Cingulate gyrus
• Amygdala

Question 7

What is the role of the amygdala? (2)

Answer 7

• Involved in emotional response to face recognition
• Also involved in reward and addiction

Question 8

Where does noradrenaline originate from and what is its role?

Answer 8

Originates from the locus coeruleus (part of the reticular formation)

• Involved in arousal, perception, attention, mood, and behavior

Question 9

What are the dopamine pathways and their functions? (4)

Answer 9

Mesocortical pathway: Affects behavior

Mesolimbic pathway: Affects behavior

Nigrostriatal pathway: Affects motor control

Tuberoinfundibular pathway: Affects hormone secretion

Question 10

Where is serotonin (5-HT) synthesized, and what is its role?

Answer 10

Synthesized in the raphe nuclei (part of the reticular formation in the medulla)

• Involved in regulating activity levels, particularly before and during periods of activity

Question 11

What are features of serotonin (5-HT)?

Answer 11

Monoamine neurotransmitter

• Innervate limbic system
• In freely moving animals, the level of neuronal activity increases immediately prior to and during periods of activity

Question 12

What are the functions of cholinergic pathways?

Answer 12

Involve the neurotransmitter acetylcholine

• Short projections: Interneurons, circuits within nucleus, local information processing
• Long projections: From the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert to the cerebral cortex, influencing cognition and behavior

Question 13

What are the major excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the CNS?

Answer 13

Glutamate: Major excitatory transmitter

GABA: Major inhibitory transmitter