The Chemistry of Behavior (Chapter 3)

Curare

________ and Botox are paralytics bc they block the ability of ACh to bind to the muscle- antagonists.

Alzheimers Disease

________- shrinkage in the hippocampus, tau protein chains start to disintegrate and break, neurons die or retract; plaque forming in synapse makes it hard for ACh and glutamate.

lipid solubility

Some ________- pretty much everything has to have an active transport system (glucose, amino acids, vitamins, hormones)

loss of coordination

Alcohol (agonist)- ________ and balance (cerebellum)

external environment

Autoreceptors:: a way of giving feedback to the neuron about the status of the ________; guides overall production in Cell A.

Axons of motor neurons

________ synapse onto receptor proteins that form clusters on various muscles throughout the body.

Nicotine

________- agonist, causing brain fog because ACh receptors are being removed.

Therapeutic Index

________ (TI):: difference between ED and LD can have wide or narrow variability.

Parkinsons

________- tremors, inability to initiate movement, DA neurons in substantia nigra are dying and cant stimulate the basal ganglia in the mesostriatal pathway- treat w /a dopamine agonist (L- Dopa)

Tryptophan

________:: essential amino acid (foods high in protein- wild game, seeds /nuts, cheeses, seafood /fish, meat)

Diffusion

________- they float away where they have no effect (automatic)

Acetylcholine

________ works on skeletal muscles, tissue, internal organs.

Schizophrenia

________- delusions and hallucinations, flight of ideas, disorganized behavior, overstimulation of dopamine in mesolimbocortical pathway- treat w /a dopamine antagonist (anti- psychotics)

release

Blocking ________ interferes w /ability of presynaptic cell to affect postsynaptic cell.

THC

________- pain relief, lower BP, relief of nausea, decreased eye pressure in glaucoma, immunosuppressive actions (Schedule I drug)

Glial cell help

________- astrocytes pull excess NTs and safely give to cell A.

Wellbutrin

________- dopamine reuptake inhibitor, helps people w /depression.

Agonists

________:: increase effectiveness of the NT targeted.

Phenylanine

________ and tyrosine part of our diet- essential amino acid, foods high in protein (soy based products, eggs, nuts /seeds, seafood, meat)

Some lipid solubility

pretty much everything has to have an active transport system (glucose, amino acids, vitamins, hormones)

Circumventricular organs

not protected by the BBB

Area postrema

neg

molecules coming into brain and brain stem

the first poison detection center, causes vomiting/diarrhea

Glucose, lactate, acetate

brain uses more sugar than any cells/organs

1st NT discovered by Otto Loewi (1921)

acetylcholine using frog hearts

Ionotropic receptors

open ion channels

Metabotropic receptors

2nd mess, metabolic change occurs

Slow, long lasting (30ms

s, m, etc.)

Autoreceptors

a way of giving feedback to the neuron about the status of the external environment; guides overall production in Cell A

Diffusion

they float away where they have no effect (automatic)

Degradation

degrade/fall apart over time (automatic)

Transporters (reuptake)

presynaptic, reabsorb the NT and recycle it so it can be used again

Glial cell help

astrocytes pull excess NTs and safely give to cell A

Type I

excitatory

Type II

inhibitory

PSD

pre or post synaptic density

Agonists

increase effectiveness of the NT targeted

Antagonists

decrease effectiveness of the NT targeted

Pharmacologists need to know Effective Dose of potential drugs

start w/animal models

Therapeutic Index (TI)

difference between ED and LD can have wide or narrow variability

GABA

gamma-aminobutyric acid

Alcohol (agonist)

loss of coordination and balance (cerebellum)

Makes GABA

in every cell in our body, but very specialized in neurons

Alcohol (antagonist)

loss of memories (hippocampus), poor decisions (PFC)

If turned up too high, can become neurotoxic

kills other neurons

Acetylcholine (ACh)

highly tied to learning and memory (hippocampus and basal ganglia); fast acting at the neurotransmitter junction and degrades very quickly

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE)

enzyme, breaks down ACh

Curare, Botex, Sarin/Soman/Tabun

neuromuscular junction

Curare and Botox are paralytics bc they block the ability of ACh to bind to the muscle

antagonists

Sarin/Soman/Tabun

nerve gases and AChE-I agonists

Nicotine

agonist, causing brain fog because ACh receptors are being removed

Alzheimers Disease

shrinkage in the hippocampus, tau protein chains start to disintegrate and break, neurons die or retract; plaque forming in synapse makes it hard for ACh and glutamate

Monoamine NTs

Catecholamines

Cocaine, methylphenidate

dopamine agonists and block reuptake

Adderall, amphetamines

dopamine agonists and increase release of DA

MDMA

at low doses releases DA

Wellbutrin

dopamine reuptake inhibitor, helps people w/depression

SNRIs (Effexor, Remeron, Cymbalta, Meridia)

good for mild/mod depression

Mainly in body, small amounts in brain

aka "adrenaline rush"

Phenylanine and tyrosine part of our diet

essential amino acid, foods high in protein (soy based products, eggs, nuts/seeds, seafood, meat)

Monoamine NTs

Indoleamines

SSRIs

Prozac, Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, Zoloft

Ecstasy

MDMA

Opioid receptor activation

inhabit VTA GABA neurons and increase DA activity

THC

pain relief, lower BP, relief of nausea, decreased eye pressure in glaucoma, immunosuppressive actions (Schedule I drug)