PSYC 2275 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Cholinergic, Stimulant, Haloperidol

• School: Mount Royal University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 2275
• Professor: Karen Atkinson- Leadbeater

Document Summary

Psyc 2275 - lecture 6 - the chemistry of behaviour (acetylcholine and dopamine) Neurotransmitters are endogenous ligands for a receptor. Drugs can act as agonists when they block re-uptake or degradation of a neurotransmitter. Agonists can function at neurotransmitter receptors: ex. drug that can bind to a receptor (exogenous ligand) and activate it is called a receptor agonist. Neurotransmitters do not enter cells, but the ions do: they only bind to the outside. Drugs can interfere with many different processes involved in synaptic transmission. Present throughout the peripheral nervous system including all neurons to muscle synapses, and both divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Present in many regions of the central nervous system including the basal forebrain and regions within the hindbrain. Acetylcholinesterase (ache) degrades ach in the synaptic cleft. Receptors are sensitive to nicotine: muscarinic receptors. Important in the function of the autonomic nervous system. In the central nervous system, it is associated with attention, memory and cognition.