PSYC 462 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Magnesium, Kynurenic Acid, Radionuclide
Document Summary
Psyc 462 lecture notes taken on 25th jan 2018. Radioactive isotope with low level of activity is given and machine detects trace amounts of this radioactivity. Greater concentration of radioactive compounds gives an index of metabolic activity. Not the best tool to look at behavior. Nowadays, we use radiolabeled drug that binds to certain receptors in the brain, therefore more activity and can measure neurotransmitter release. However, this cannot be performed for all neurotransmitters and can only be used for areas with high concentration of receptors: fmri. Has spatial resolution down to the mm of the cortex. Used for memory and decision-making tasks, etc. Activity does not mean that post-synaptic neurons are firing. Clinical studies take place in a few centres. Phase 3 trial takes place in multiple centres and some drugs fail due to sample of test subjects. Does everything as all parts of brain have glutamate.
