ERQ neurotransmitters Flashcards
neurotransmission
Neurotransmission is the process by which neurons transmit information and signals for certain bodily functions, either psychical or psychological to occur. Communication between these neurons begins when an action potential travels to the axon terminal of a presynaptic neuron. This electrical impulse causes vesicles to fuse with the membrane of the presynaptic neuron and release certain molecules; neurotransmitters, which bind to the receptors on the postsynaptic neuron to carry on this action potential to the next neuron. These neurotransmitters are then released from the receptors, and either return to the presynaptic neuron, or are dissolved by enzymes. Often the role of neurotransmitters is studied indirectly. This is sometimes done by using an antagonist - that is, a drug that blocks the receptor site on a neuron and does not allow a neurotransmitter to do its job.
Troster
A study by Troster showed that acetylcholine plays a role in the encoding of memories, but not the retrieval of LTM. To carry out the study there were three conditions. Each subject was injected with either a saline solution, a .5 or a .8 mg solution of scopolamine, an acetylcholine antagonist. They then carried out three tests. In the first test, they were asked to recall a list of 14 words. Recall was tested immediately after reading the list and then after 45 minutes. The high scopolamine group recalled the least in both conditions. In the second test, participants were given a map of a fake state and asked to memorize the location of the cities. After one minute they were given a blank map and a list of cities and asked to place them on the map. Once again, the high scopolamine group did poorly. Finally, participants were given a test of memories of famous people and events. They found no significant difference in the scores of the three conditions. It appears that acetylcholine may play a role in the encoding of memory, but not its retrieval.
This study is highly standardized which allows other researchers to replicate the findings. The study is problematic in that scopolamine has strong side effects, so the researcher and the participant would know whether it was the placebo or not. The task is also very artificial and may not reflect how memories are usually created.
evaluation of antonova
The study was a repeated measures design, which allowed the researchers to eliminate participant variability. The study was also counterbalanced, with some doing the scopolamine condition first and some doing the placebo condition first to control for the practice effect. In addition to that, the study was also a Double-Blind Experiment, preventing researcher bias in the results. For the results to be considered reliable, the study would need to be replicated, due to the small sample size.
