Posted by Scott L. Schofield on April 19, 2000, at 11:17:42
In reply to Re: Cam - serotonin and dopamine opposition, posted by Zeke on April 18, 2000, at 15:13:52
Nice post, Zeke. Good perspective.
> Consider also that dopamine and serotonin also act to oppose (inhibit) themselves, eg, through autoreceptors. (Or through action: ACh 'opposes' its actions in the PNS.)
What is the PNS?
> Be careful generalizing from results of studies in persons with abnormal brain chemistry like schizophrenia. (Does a non-schizophrenic brain act like a schizophrenic brain? In schizophrenia, some dopamine circuits are hyperactive, some hypoactive.)
Excellent.
> IMHO, much is to be learned from the happenings inside neurons. Along with genetics this will involve neurosteroids etc. This seems to me why antidepressants have an effective (affective) time lag whis their synaptic action is immediate.
"affective" :-)
Definitely: neurotransmitter-stimulated adenylate cyclase-synthesized cAMP-induced protein kinase C-mediated C-FOS-directed gene transcription of G-proteins and stuff like that.
> Another complicating issue is the recent finding that transmission can occur electrically without any neurotransmitter (in certain processes).
I am curious about this. It sounds exciting.
> Lastly, if one transmitter inhibits the other, we can say 'oppose' or we can say 'modulate'. I tend to see DA/5HT more in the 'modulate' sense.
I will now be a pain in the ass:
"If a neuron using one specific neurotransmitter, or the specific neurotransmitter itself, inhibits or promotes the firing of another neuron using a different specific neurotransmitter, we cannot say 'oppose' (oppose is a two-way street). We can say 'modulate'."
Things are, of course, more complex than this, what with neurons using multiple transmitters or being stimulated by false transmitters and all.
"Railroads" obviously represents a simple analogy, but it may have utility in creating a balance of perspective against the conceptualization that the brain consists of a bunch of pools containing different colored liquids that are connected by omnidirectional aqueducts.
- Scott
poster:Scott L. Schofield
thread:29285
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000411/msgs/30576.html