Neurotransmitters Flashcards
Acetylcholine
Primary neurotransmitter in PSNS.
Sleep, wakefulness, mood, movement. Thought, memory, attention, learning. Muscle action!
Acetylcholine CI
Shortage - Alzheimer’s
Nicotine increases release
Myasthenia gravis = rection in Ach receptors
Dopamine
Sleep, wakefulness, mood, movement, behavior. Motivation-reward! Vasodilation
Dopamine CI
Decrease: Parkinson’s
Dysfunction: schizophrenia.
Role in substance abuse
Useful to treat heart failure
Epinephrine
Attentiveness, arousal, mental focus, sexual arousal. Fight or flight.
Epinephrine CI
High level - ADHD, anxiety
Used to treat shock, cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis
GABA
Inhibitory! Sleep, wakefulness, mood, movement, motor control, vision.
Prevents overstimulation by regulating other excitatory neurotransmitters. Counterbalances glutamate!
GABA CI
Too little - epilepsy and anxiety
Increased by alcohol and benzodiazepines, leading to sedation
Glutamate
Most abundant neurotransmitter! Involved in pain, learning, memory, most aspects of normal brain function. Increases membrane permeability for Na+, K+, Ca2+
Glutamate CI
Role in bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
Histamine
Sleep, wakefulness, arousal, eating, attention, cognition.
Role in immune and inflammatory response
Histamine CI
Immune, inflammatory, hypersensitivity reactions. Increases gastric acid secretions. Side effect of histamine blockers is drowsiness.
Nitric Oxide
Vasodilation, bronchodilation, gastric emptying, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, analgesic.
Nitric Oxide CI
Treats angina and hypertensive emergencies (vasodilation), treats hypoxemia, pulmonary hypertension (bronchodilation)
Norepinephrine
Sleep, wakefulness, mood, arousal, attention, learning, memory, eating. Fight or flight! Main neurotransmitter of sympathetic nerves in cardiovascular system.
