Memorizing Neurotransmitters

For AP Psychology’s Unit 2, students must memorize seven neurotransmitters. Here is how I did it:

\ When remembering the first five neurotransmitters, think SEDAN 🚙 (an automobile)

Serotonin

Epinephrine

Dopamine

Acetycholine

Norepinephrine

\ Next, here are some mnemonics for each neurotransmitter

==S====erotonin==

Think that “serotonin” sounds like “sir rotten”. If one has low serotonin levels, they will be rotten, or depressed. Low serotonin levels cause depression.

==E====pinephrine==

(I have nothing for epinephrine, but when you study, try to make up any mnemonics/acronyms that have personal meaning to you! You are more likely to remember something that has personal meaning to you remember?)

==D====opamine==

Remember this saying: “tall dopey is skiing, short dopey is parking” (Dopey is a dwarf from snow white). This saying represents that high levels of dopamine cause schizophrenia and low levels of dopamine cause Parkinson’s. Tall→high, __ski__ing→__schi__zophrenia, short→low, __parkin__g→__parkin__sons.

==A====cetylcholine==

Like dopamine, you can remember this: “Tall Ace is flexing, short Ace has Alzheimer’s” (Ace is a made-up person, named after __Ace__tylcholine). High levels of acetylcholine cause issues with muscles, and low levels of acetylcholine cause Alzheimers. Tall→high, flexing→muscles, short→low.

==N====orepinephrine==

This one is more silly (but it worked for me so…): put an S in front of Norepinephrine and you’ll get Snore__pinephrine. Associate __snore with sleeping. When you have low norepinephrine levels, you aren’t alerted or aroused, which is what you are when you are sleeping/tired.

\ For the remaining two neurotransmitters, there isn’t any special automobile name for them to go with, but that isn’t a problem as there are only two left and they are both easy to remember.

GABA and Glutamate.

I memorized these two as “GG” or “G x2”

I found that the functions of these two neurotransmitters were pretty similar

==GABA== is inhibitory, while ==glutamate== is excitatory.

\ Here are some acronyms to memorize what happens with low levels of each neurotransmitter:

Low levels of GABA can lead to SIT 💺: \n Seizures

Insomnia

Tremors

Low levels of glutamate can lead to SM:

Seizures

Migraines

\ And there you have it, a bunch of memorization techniques to help you memorize the seven neurotransmitters easier. Remember: SEDAN +GG!