Lecture 3: Neuron circuits and Neuropharmacology

Part 1: Glutamate, GABA and neuron circuits
1. Glutamate
  1. amino Acid
  2. most common excitatory neurotransmitter
  3. umami; does not pass blood brain barrier
    1. AMPA and NMDA receptors
      1. NMDA is ligand and voltage gated
  4. excitotoxicity
  5. ionotrpoic and metabotropic receptors
    1. AMPA (ionotropic ); NMDA (ligand gated and voltage sensitive)
      1. NMDA important for learning and memory
2. GABA
  1. most common inhibitory neurotransmitter
  2. barbituates
3. GABA
  1. inhibitory
  2. barbituates
  3. ionotropic and metabotropic
    1. ionotropic= opens ion channels; metabotropic= ion that binds to neuron outside of cell and chnages processes in cell, including how excitable it is
  4. glycine is functionally similar to GABA and is released by the spinal cord and brainstem
4. Neuron circuits
  1. feed forward and feed back
  2. the stretch reflex circuit
  3. a contrast enhacing circuit
    1. lateral inhibition
  4. brain oscillations
    1. synchronization of neuron activity
Part 2: Neuromodulators
1. slower actions on neuron behaviour
2. act on metabotropic receptors
3. modulate circuit activity
  1. Endogenous, exogenous, agonist, antagonist
4. Acetylcholine
  1. ionotropic
    1. nicotinic
      1. excitatory; found on muscles; found in brain
  2. metabotropic
    1. muscarinic
      1. common in autonomic nervous system
        stimulate digestion ad heart rate
        also found in the central nervous system; influences attention
5. Dopamine
  1. acts on metabotropic receptors
    1. D1
      1. excitatory
    2. D2
      1. inhibitory
  2. Skill and reward learning
    1. DA neurons primarily found in the substantia nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
  3. cocaine is a DA drug
    1. Amphetamine is a DA drug
6. norepinephrine
  1. related to epinephrine
  2. metabotrophic receptors
    1. alpha and beta
  3. adrenergic drugs
    1. beta blockers
    2. drugs act on the body because they do not cross the BB barrier
  4. dopamine and norepinephrine are related
    1. catecholamines
7. Serotonin
  1. metabotrophic recpetors
  2. high tryptophan in diet
  3. mood motivation
  4. raphe nucleus
  5. drugs include SSRIs , MDMA, and psychedelics
    1. SSRIs relate to depression; MDMA less risky than believed; mechanisms of psychedelics not understood
Part 3: How three common drugs affect the brain
1. drug toloerance and drug sensitization
2. caffeine
  1. counteracts adenosine
3. opioids
  1. type of protein
    1. some act as neuropeptides, some as hormones
  2. endorphins, dynorphins and enkephalins
    1. important in the pain system
  3. opiates
    1. morphine, heroine
4. Cannabinoids
  1. Endocannabinoids
  2. Cannabis
    1. stimulate appetite, attitude and perception
    2. cause relaxation or anxiety depending on individual person or situation
      1. also varies based on plant strain
    3. contains multiple different cannabinoid molecules
      1. higher CBD to THC ratios tend to induce less anxiety
  3. CB1 receptors found in the brain
    1. CB2 receptors found in immune system
      1. retrograde signal
  4. CCK neurons and development

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Lecture 3: Neuron circuits and Neuropharmacology

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	Created by rcheeatow_8 over 10 years ago