Neurophysiology: How Do Psychoactive Drugs Act?

Résumé fourni par la source

Chapter 5 brings the reader into the nuts and bolts of neuropharmacology. Namely, how brain cells (neurons and glia) function and the neurotransmitter signaling between brain cells, communicating with receptors on groups of cells that form function-specific tasks. Neurophysiology is the study of how brain cells maintain an electrical charge and the different mechanisms by which those charges are altered by neurochemicals. Gated and non-gated neurotransmission is explained and the nature and known effects of the most well studied neurotransmitters is discussed. Also included are the dietary sources for the precursor of these chemical messengers is discussed as are the four basic mechanisms by which psychoactive drugs affect neurophysiology. The eloquent simplicity of inhibitory or excitatory neurotransmitters (which are discussed in detail) and the inhibitory or excitatory nature of the receptors that are affected by neurotransmitters is put into perspective. Namely, there are more than 60 known neurotransmitters, interacting with multiple receptors responsive to the input from 80 billion neurons that are connected by many trillions of synapses throughout the brain.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.