Professional Documents
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Things to know
• Key neurotransmitters
• Basics of psychoneuroimmunology
Structure and Function of Neurons
Key Neurotransmitters
• Acetylcholine (ACh)
• GABA
• Dopamine
• Serotonin
• Norepinephrine
Acetylcholine (ACh)
• First NT discovered
• 1913 and later confirmed in 1933
John F. Nash
Nobel Prize Winning
Mathematician
Serotonin
• Plays a role in sleep, wakefulness and eating
behavior
• Important role in mood
• Anti-depressants increase extra-cellular levels of
serotonin
How Drugs Work
• Chemical substances may
bind to NTs receptor sites by
“fooling” them into thinking
that they are the NT
How Drugs Work
• Agonist
• A chemical that mimics the action of a neurotransmitter
• Binds to receptor and has similar effects of NT
• Nicotine acts as an ACh agonist
• Antagonist
• A chemical that opposes the action of a NT
• Binds to receptor and blocks effects of NT
• Haldol, an antipsychotic medication, acts as a dopamine
antagonist.
The Brain
1. Hindbrain
• Cerebellum
• Medulla
• Pons
2. Midbrain
3. Forebrain
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Limbic system
• Cerebrum
The Hindbrain
• Medulla: essential
unconscious functions
• Pons: some aspects of
sleep and arousal
The Midbrain and Reticular Formation
• Midbrain: Integrates
sensory processes
• Reticular formation:
• Muscle reflexes, breathing &
pain perception
The Forebrain
• Largest structure in the
brain.
• Includes:
1)Thalamus
2) Hypothalamus
3) Limbic System
4) Cerebrum
Thalamus: The Way Station
• Relays and integrates all sensory information, except
smell, to cerebral cortex.
Hypothalamus
• Includes:
• Parts of thalamus &
hypothalamus
• Hippocampus: memory
• Amygdala: learned fear
Dop Receptor
Receptor