Neuropharmacology

Question 1

What are the excitatory neurotransmitters?

Answer 1

• Glutamate (main one)
• Aspartate
• Acetylcholine
• Noradrenaline
• Adrenaline
• Serotonin
• Dopamine
• Peptides

Question 2

What are the inhibitory neurotransmitters?

Answer 2

• GABA (main one)

- Glycine

Question 3

What are the two categories of monoamines and what are they metabolised from?

Answer 3

Catecholamines - metabolised from tyrosine

Indoleamines - metabolised from tryptophan

Question 4

What neurotransmitters are catecholamines?

Answer 4

• Dopamine
• Noradrenaline
• Adrenaline

Question 5

What neurotransmitters are indoleamines?

Answer 5

• Serotonin

Question 6

What neurotransmitters are amino acids?

Answer 6

• Glutamate
• Aspartate
• GABA
• Glycine

Question 7

What is meant by Long-Term Potentiation (LTP)?

Answer 7

A phenomenon whereby high frequency stimulation of a neuron leads to increased excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) to a subsequent single stimulus pulse.

Believed to be important for memory and learning

It is a form of neuroplasticity - long term change in expression of genes and turnover of peptides

Question 8

How does long-term potentiation happen on a cellular level?

Answer 8

NMDA-type glutamate receptors will receive calcium ions

However, NMDA receptors are subject to a magnesium block unless cells are depolarised enough. This is why high frequency stimuli is needed.

LTP occurs when the magnesium block is removed by high depolarising activity.

Calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is heavily implicated in LTP:
- When calcium displaces the magnesium from the channel pores after a high voltage potential, calcium activates CaMKII which leads to induction of LTP

Long lasting LTP is dependent upon DNA transcription and mRNA translation - it is an active process