AP Psychology: NEUROTRANSMITTERS

Acetylcholine (ACH)

Type: Excitatory
Function: Muscle function, attention, learning/memory

Acetylcholine (ACH) SURPLUS

Muscle spasms

Acetylcholine (ACH) DEFICIT

Alzheimer's disease

Dopamine

Type: Inhibitory
Function: Motor movement, mood and emotion, arousal (alertness)

Dopamine SURPLUS

Schizophrenia; drug addiction

Dopamine DEFICIT

Parkinson's disease

Serotonin

Type: Inhibitory
Function: Mood regulation, hunger, sleep

Serotonin SURPLUS

Hallucinations

Serotonin DEFICIT

Depression and mood disorders

Endorphins

Type: Inhibitory
Function: Pain control, pleasure, reduction of stress

Endorphins SURPLUS

Artificial highs; inadequate response to pain

Endorphins DEFICIT

Pain

Norepinephrine

Type: Excitatory
Function: Fight-or-flight arousal, alertedness arousal

Norepinephrine SURPLUS

Anxiety

Norepinephrine DEFICIT

Depression

GABA

Type: Inhibitory
Function: Regulates sleep-wake cycles

GABA SURPLUS

Sleep and eating disorders

GABA DEFICIT

Seizures, tremors, Huntington's disease, insomnia

Glutamate

Type: Excitatory
Function: Learning and long-term memory

Glutamate SURPLUS

Migraines and seizures (overstimulation of the brain)

Glutamate DEFICIT

N/A

Oxytocin

Type: Excitatory
Function: Sexual arousal, romantic attachment, parent-infant bonding, labor contractions (childbirth), breast milk production
(hormone that also acts as a neurotransmitter)

Oxytocin SURPLUS

Emotional oversensitivity

Oxytocin DEFICIT

Autism spectrum disorder