psych excitatory/inhibitory

glutamate

(excitatory) binds to NMDA and AMPA receptors, important for sensory neurons and learning, is deactivated by alcohol, precursor for GABA

GABA

(inhibitory) anxiety regulation, learning; receptor sites stimulated by alcohol, barbituates, benzodiazapines

acetylcholine

(excitatory OR inhibitory) muscle movement, attention and alertness, memory (hippocampus), sleep and dreaming (REM), production blocked in AD, release prevented with botulism, receptors activated by nicotine, blocked by curare

dopamine

(excitatory OR inhibitory) regulates motor actions, emotions (motivation and pleasure), absence in parkinson’s, surplus in schizophrenia, amphetamines and cocaine block reuptake

norepinephrine

(excitatory) arousal, mood control, vigilance (monitoring world around us)

seritonin

(inhibitory) emotion control, dreaming, pain control, prozac blocks reuptake, LSD stimulated by receptors

endorphins

(inhibitory) pain regulation, reward, opiods stimulate them, naloxone blocks them