Download Neurotransmitters

Psych 11
Kabotoff
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chemicals which transport information across
the synaptic cleft between neurons
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They send many different types of messages:
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signal to relax a muscle - chemical reward for
engaging in a particular task
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Serotonin
Dopamine
GABA
Glutamate
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Opiate
Noradrenaline
Endocannabinoid
Acetylcholine
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Sleep, arousal levels, emotion
Higher levels of serotonin activate
hypothalamus and frontal cortex
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1999 Buddhist monks dep f n w, cold temp,
48hrs=hallucinations
Too low=sleep or eating disorders, depression
Too high =OCD
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Linked to creating memory (stim
hippocampus) and muscle contraction
Affected in Alzheimer’s patients
Too low = paralysis
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Voluntary movement, learning, feelings of
pleasure
Tied to depression and vital to chemical
dependency treatment
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Black out or binge drinkers seek the feeling of
numbness when they use alcohol in excess
Too much=psychotic, hallucinations
Too little=clinically depressed
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Calms things down, too low=seizures
Counteracts glutamate and other stimulant
neurotransmitters
Genetic predisposition – people who talk fast,
worry, get fired up etc have a LOT of this ..
Huntington’s disease decreases this, causes
tremors, personality changes
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Mood, alertness, quick response (sex, eating,
thirst)
Too high=high blood pressure, nervous,
anxiety
Too low=lethargy, lack of motivation,
depression
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Creates euphoric feeling i.e. endorphins
Is addictive
Prescription: Morphine, Vicodin, OxyContin,
Dilaudid, Demerol, Codeine
But can also cause pain if taken over a long
period of time
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Chemicals are
produced in the
body of the neuron
Travel along the
axon and hang out
in vesicles
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When the neuron receives the right impulse
(action potential) , a vesicle bursts releasing
neurotransmitters across the synapse to
receptor sites on dendrites of a neighbouring
neuron
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Neurotransmitters are the most important
molecule in nearly every living thing
Can be excitatory or inhibitors
Some Factors affecting the release of
neurotransmitters:
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genetics
eating habits
exposure to chemical substances
stress
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conditions such as attention deficit disorder,
autism, and other genetically linked disorders
commonly present with imbalances in the level
of neurotransmitters released by certain
neurons
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Lack of protein in the diet, results in an absence
in the amino acids needed to produce
neurotransmitters for later release
diets low in omega-3 and other fatty acids
Synthetic chemicals also affect the release of
neurotransmitters, either intentionally or
unintentionally (drugs vs chem weapons)