Micro-anatomy (Neurotransmitters & Neuromodulators) (FS - Week 1)

Question 1

What is the function of the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine (Ach)?

Answer 1

Function - memory and learning

Question 2

What receptors does Acetylcholine activate

Answer 2

Nicotinic

Muscarinic

Question 3

What is the drug target of Acetylcholine

Answer 3

Alzheimer’s disease

Question 4

What is the function of neurotransmitter Glutamate

Answer 4

Major excitatory

learning and memory and long-term potentiation

Question 5

What is the drug target of glutamate

Answer 5

Alzheimer’s disease related to glutamate mediated excitotoxicity

Question 6

What receptors does glutamate activate

Answer 6

• Ligand-gated ion channels
  (AMPA, NMDA, Kainate)
• GPCRs
  (Group 1, 2, 3)

Question 7

What is the function of GABA

Answer 7

major inhibitory

mediates neurotransmission in local circuit interneurons

Question 8

What is the drug target of GABA

Answer 8

Anxiety disorders

Question 9

What receptors does GABA activate

Answer 9

GABAa

GABAb

Question 10

What is the neurotransmitter Dopamine’s function

Answer 10

• initiating voluntary movement

- reward and reinforcing behaviours

Question 11

What is the drug target of dopamine

Answer 11

Parkinson’s disease

Question 12

What receptors does dopamine activate

Answer 12

GPCRs

subtypes D1-D5

Question 13

What is the function of serotonin

Answer 13

• sleep
• wakefulness
• mood
• emotional behaviours

Question 14

What is a drug target of serotonin

Answer 14

depression

anxiety

Question 15

What receptors does serotonin activate

Answer 15

GPCRs
5-HT1/2/4/5/6/7
(5-HT3 exempt as it’s a LGIC)

Question 16

What is the function of noradrenaline

Answer 16

major transmitter in sympathetic nervous system

• attention
• arousal
• sleep
• wakefulness

Question 17

What receptors does Noradrenaline activate

Answer 17

GPCRs
a-noradrenergic
b-noradrenergic

Question 18

What is the drug target of noradrenaline

Answer 18

anxiety

Question 19

What are neurohormones

Answer 19

chemical messengers that are produced and released by neurons to subsequently function as hormones

Question 20

Oxytocin and vasopressin are examples of which type of neurohormones

Answer 20

protein and peptide hormones

Question 21

Noradrenaline and dopamine are examples of which type of neurohormones

Answer 21

amino acids

Question 22

Cortisol and aldosterone are examples of which type of neurohormones

Answer 22

steroid hormones

Question 23

What is the peripheral function of oxytocin

Answer 23

acts on mammary glands to stimulate lactation

acts on the uterus to stimulate contractions

Question 24

What is the peripheral function of vasopressin

Answer 24

acts on blood vessels to cause vasoconstriction

acts on kidneys to regulate water retention

Question 25

What is meant by diffuse neuromodulatory systems

Answer 25

systems of the CNS that project widely and diffusely to large areas of the brain via modulatory neurotransmitters

Question 26

What is the noradrenergic locus coeruleus

Answer 26

small nucleus located bilaterally in the pons with noradrenergic projections to vast parts of the CNS

Question 27

What is the serotonergic raphe nuclei

Answer 27

a collection of nuclei located in the brainstem with serotonergic projections to the CNS

Question 28

What is the dopaminergic substantia nigra

Answer 28

cell group located in the midbrain with dopaminergic projections to the striatum

Question 29

What is the VTA (ventral tegmental area)

Answer 29

cell group lying closely to the substantia nigra with dopaminergic projections to the CNS

Question 30

What does substantia nigra projections regulate

Answer 30

initiation and voluntary movement

Question 31

What does the VTA projections regulate

Answer 31

reward and reinforcement behaviours

Question 32

Cocaine is a psychostimulant. Describe its mechanism of action

Answer 32

- it is a non-competitive blocker of dopamine and noradrenaline transporters - less dopamine and noradrenaline are taken up into the presynaptic terminal - increased levels of dopamine and noradrenaline in the synaptic cleft = increased postsynaptic receptor activation

Question 33

How does the psychostimulant cocaine cause addiction and dependence

Answer 33

results of enhanced dopaminergic neurotransmission originating from VTA - by short circuiting this pathway it reinforces drug seeking behaviour