monamine hypothesis

Question 1

what are monamines?

Answer 1

neurotransmitters that contain amino acid and that regulate mood such as Dopamine, Serotonin and noradrenaline.

Question 2

what is the most important monamine?

Answer 2

serotonin as it regulates the other monamines.

Question 3

what happens if serotonin falls?

Answer 3

noradrenaline also falls which regulates attention and reward, linked to a lack of feeling pleasure.

dopamine also falls which regulates alertness and energy which is linked to anxiety.

Question 4

where can serotonin be found /

Answer 4

in CNS cells where it is carried to the postsynaptic neuron across the synapse by serotonin transporters.

Question 5

what has been suggested about serotonin transporters?

Answer 5

changes in gene encoding in the transporter are linked to depression and triggered by stress.

Question 6

what is a strength of the hypothesis?

Answer 6

anti-depressants are used to raise levels of monamines and reduce symptoms of depression, therefore if the monamine hypothesis was incorrect then the drugs wouldnt reduce symptoms.

Question 7

what did kilmeck et al find?

Answer 7

compared the locus coeruleus of 15 dead depressed paietns and 15 dead people who didnt suffer from depression. locus coeruleus produces noradrenaline. he found much less noradrenaline in those sufferring from depression

Question 8

what is a weakness of the hypothesis?

Answer 8

durgs such as opipramal treat symptoms of depression and dont involve the increase of manomines suggesting it to be incomplete.