neurotransmitters Flashcards
how do you classify neurotransmitters?
must be synthesised in a neuron
released to produce a response
same response when experimentally placed on target
mechanism to remove
types of neurotransmitter
small molecule, neuropeptide, gases
what small molecule neurotransmitters are there
acetylchline dopamine histamine adrenaline noradrenaline serotonin glutamate GABA glycine
what neuropeptides are there
chains of amino acids opioids vasopresin oxytocin insulin glucocarticoids
not recycled back
what gases are there
nitric oxide
carbon monoxide
what receptors are involved in the cholinergic system
muscarinic m(12345) nicotinic - neuronal alpha bungarotoxin sensitive/insensitive
what neurotransmitter is involved in the cholinergic system
acetylcholine
what is the cholinergic system involved in?
pns - activate skeletal muscle
cns - involved in attention, wakefulness, perception and memory
what disorders is the cholinergic system related to
alzheimers disese
caused by a decrease in Ach
what treatments are used in the cholinergic system to treat alzheimers?
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors - cause an increase in Ach preventing the loss of cholinergic receptors
what neurotransmitter is involved in the noradrenergic system?
noradrenaline/noreinephrine
what is the noradrenergic system involved in?
increase rate and force of contraction of the heart
stimulates glycogenolysis
increase level of free fatty acids
pns - fight or flight response
cns - alertness, arousal, decision making and rewards
what are the noradrenergic receptors?
alpha and beta noradrenergic receptors
what disorders is the noradrenergic system related to?
adhd - alertness and arousal
depression - motivation and intellect linked to social relationships (moret and briley 2010)
schizophrenia - above norm nAd (farley et al 1978)
what treatments are used for the noradrenergic system?
depression and adhd - SNRIs ie venlafaxine/duloexetine
schizophrenia - SNRIs ie riboxetine
what neurotransmitter is involved in the serotonergic system?
serotonin 5-ht
what is the serotonergic system involved in?
pns - intestinal movement
cns - controls appetite, sleep, memory, learning, mood and temp regulation
what are the serotonergic receptors
5-ht (1 abdef) (2 ab) (34567)
what disorders is the serotonergic system related to?
depression - reduction in 5-ht (caven 2008)
anxiety - 5-ht can be anxiogenic (increase fear learning) and can be anxiolytic (impair cued and context memory) (baver, 2014)
eating disorders - diff 5ht levels across diff disorders (kaye et al 2013)
ocd - seems to be involved but not conclusive
what treatments are used for the serotonergic system?
MAO inhibitors
amphetamine/modaphanil
SNRIs, SSRIs, TCAs
- increase 5ht by blocking reuptake in presynaptic terminal
what neurotransmitter is involved in the dopaminergic system
dopamine DA
what pathways does the dopaminergic system take and what are they involved in?
nigrostriatal path - movement
mesolimbic - reward detectives
what receptors are used in the dopaminergic system
D (12345)
what disorders are associated with the dopaminergic system
schizophrenia - too much da alters reality
parkinsons - too little da cause loss of motor control
adhd - too little da cuase loss of concentration
drug addiction - cocain blocks DA reuptake causing build up and down regulates (loss of receptors so need more)
depression - too little da
eating disorders ie anorexia and obesity
what treatments are used in the dopaminergic system?
schiz - antipsychotics increase da but blocking da reuptke receptors
parkinsons - produce more da by converting dopa via dopa carboxylase to da
adhd - ritalin da reuptake inhibitors - block reuptake and increase levels of da
depression - buproprion - reuptake inhibitor
eating disorders - bupropion and naltrexene
what is the min problem with drugs and these systems?
within the brain there are many different connections
some neurons release many different transmitters
some transmitters work together for different behaviours
different levels in the brain can have conflicting inflluence
