Neurotransmitters

Acetylcholine

• Affect: Muscles (heart), memory & learning

• Negatives: Memory issues, muscle weakness

Dopamine

• Affect: Happiness, reward

• Positives: Can help treat mood disorders

• Negatives: Addiction

Epinephrine

• Affect: Jolt of energy, fight or flight

• Positives: Used to treat allergic reactions

• Negatives: Heart issues, too much energy

GABA

• Affect: Calming

• Positives: Sleep, stress relief 

• Negatives: Excessive tiredness, low blood sugar

Glutamate

• Affect: Learning & memory, neuroplasticity

• Negatives: Alzheimers, mood disorders

Serotonin

• Affect: Regulates mood (happiness)

• Positives: Treats depression

• Negatives: Mood swings

EEG

• Workings: Electrodes track electrical activity of neurons + machine records them as brain waves

• Advantages: Person can be awake

• Disadvantages: Not precise

PET

• Workings: Tracks biochemical changes, shows which parts of brain are active/quiet at certain times (diff colors show diff activity levels)

• Advantages: Can detect certain disorders (like CTE)

MRI

• Workings: Uses magnetic field + radio waves, shows lots of brain structure

• Advantages: No radiation, can show very fast/precise brain activity changes AS someone is doing something