W. W. Norton

W. W. Norton

W. W. Norton

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Important Neurotransmitters

endorphinacetylcholinedopaminenorepinephrineserotoninGaba

Endorphin

Relieves pain

Responsible for “joggers high”

Acetylcholine

Important in memory

Transmitter in the hippocampus

Transmitter at the neuro-muscularjunction.

Acetyl CoA + Choline

Acetylcholine

notes: Vitamin B5 makes up part of Acetyl CoA.

curare (a dart poison) blocks acetylcholine

Dopamine

There is too little in Parkinson disease

There is too little in tardive dyskinesia

Norepinephrine

There is too little in depression

Increases alertness

Tyrosine

L-dopa

dopamine

norepinephrine

Phenylalanine

W. W. Norton

MAO = monoamine oxidase

MAO Breaks down:

dopaminenorepinephrineserotonin

An MAO inhibitor prevents the breakdownof these neurotransmitters.

Serotonin

Controls sleep onset

There is too little in depression

Affected by the prescriptiondrugs prosac and zoloft

tryptophan

serotonin

GABAGABA

Valerian root affects GABA

GABA is available as afree from amino acid

Can act as a tranquilizer

Prescription