Drugs can affect neurotransmitter systems in two main ways: either by altering the availability of the neurotransmitter in the synapse, or by: - acting on the blood-brain barrier - acting directly on the receptors - increasing blood pressure - altering hormone levels
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Step 1: Drugs can affect neurotransmitter systems by altering the availability of the neurotransmitter in the synapse, which can be done by either increasing or decreasing the release of the neurotransmitter from the presynaptic neuron, or by blocking the reuptake Show more…
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A drug that increases the release of a neurotransmitter or enhances the activity of the neurotransmitter's receptor is called an agonist, whereas a drug that inhibits the activity of the neurotransmitter at the synapse is called an antagonist. For example, cocaine can be considered an agonist at the synapse. Not all drugs are the same; that is, different drugs interact with receptors and influence synaptic activity in different ways. Some are more or less effective than others. A drug that generally struggles to bind to a receptor at first but that strongly activates the receptor if it manages to bind to the receptor can be described as follows: this drug has low affinity and high efficacy.
Adi S.
Neurotransmitters can have different effects, as they can either be excitatory or inhibitory. Excitatory neurotransmitters bind to a gated ion channel, which allows for the influx of positively charged [ Select ] ions: This [ Select ] the membrane, resulting in a less negative voltage. This is called an excitatory post-synaptic potential (EPSP). Inhibitory neurotransmitters bind to a gated ion channel, which allows for the influx of negatively charged [ Select ] ions. This [ Select ] the membrane, resulting in a more negative voltage. This is called an inhibitory post-synaptic potential (IPSP).
Sri K.
Drugs that affect the reuptake of neurotransmitters are in widespread use for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and clinical depression. In molecular terms, explain what effect(s) such reuptake inhibitors have on postsynaptic neurons, assuming that the neurotransmitter in question is excitatory for that postsynaptic neuron.
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