NEUROPHARMACOLOGY

Better Living Through Chemistry
A text book online: drugs brain and behavior

Neurotransmitters and Drugs

Going Early Into That Good Night, Poets die young

A few of the scores of neurotransmitters:
click * below to see drug structures

Neurotransmitter	# of receptor types	functions	excess	deficit	drugs that effect
ACh	muscarinic: 5 nicotinic: 2	peripheral and sensory nerves parasympathetic (maintenance), Diffuse Modulatory excitory forebrain, general excitability, sleep/wake cycle, learning memory	.	.Alzheimers?	nicotine atropine muscarine aricept *
	a: 8 b: 3	sympathetic (stress), Diffuse Modulatory pons, excitory, arousal of brain durring interesting external events, increased responsiveness, alarm, attention, readiness, pain, reward, mood, brain metabolism, sleep/wake cycle, memory	anxiety	depression ADHD	amphetamines, MAO inhibitors tricyclics cocaine mescaline Lithium *
DA	5	Diffuse Modulatory substantia Nigra, voluntary movement VTA, assign value to adaptive behaviors, attention reward system	schizophrenia wain's cats novelty seeking	parkinsons reflective-orderly	amphetamines MAO inhibitors cocaine Chlorpromazine *
5HT	15	Diffuse Modulatory inhibitory Raphe Nuclei, modulate pain-relief, mood, emotional behavior, satiety, self-esteem, balance, things are OK, sleep/wake, sleep stages, arousal	feisty violent	insomnia depression OCD obesity bulemia anxiety bipolar synesthesia	prozac LSD psilocybin ecstasy *
	>30	inhibitory	depression	anxiety, panic attacks,schizophrenia	barbituates valium *
Glu	>100	70% of Brain Neurons learning, memory	Epilepsy Nerve cell death	.	MSG memantine
peptides	opioid: 4	joy, analgesia, breathing	autism.	.	opiates *
Cannabinoids		appetite pain			THC *

The drugs are color coded as follows

green agonist (mimic)

blue increases the transmitter (reuptake inhibitors etc.) or makes it more active

red antagonist

orange decreases the transmitter (inhibits release etc.)

Another chart: outline of drug and receptors

Bipolar

diary of a manic depressive gives a first had account of the struggle with mental illness
NAMI

Depression

low mood
low self-esteem
pessimism
fatigue, reduced energy
disturbances of sleep (insomnia or hypersomnia)
disturbances of appetite (anorexia or hyperphagia)
agitation or retardation
guilt
sense of worthlessness
hopelessness
helplessness
poor motivation
poor concentration
indecision
loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
low libido
recurrent thoughts of death

St. Johns Wort and depression
depression and creativity

drug for narcoleptics

Anxiety

intenet mental health

ADD

ADD sci am
ADD test

Schizophrenia

treating schizophrenia by addressing stress issues personal therapy

Autism

The Ride Together a book about Autism

General

A BBC programs The deal with drugs

A recommended Neuro site

Paul Reisberg preisberg@wellesley.edu
Chemistry Department
Date Created: September 17, 1997
Last Modified: December 5, 1998
Expires: August 30, 1999