BIOM 3090 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Mania, Anandamide, Central Nervous System Depression
23 Jan 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Drugs affecting the cns primarily alter synaptic transmission though their mechanism of action is not always known. Some neurodegenerative diseases and cns disorders are thought to result from an imbalance in neurotransmission and require drugs in order to attempt to restore the balance. Drug abuse may cause an imbalance in neurotransmission, pharmacological agents can help the effects. The cns consists of the cerebrum, diencephalon, cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord. Cns relays and processes signals from the peripheral nervous system. The cns is responsible for functions like perception (sensory, auditory, visual processing etc. ) Communication in the cns is made possible by neurons. Projection neurons: have axons projecting from one brain region to another. There are circuits of neurons that allow for integration of projection and interneurons. Signals are transmitted from neurons to target cells by neurotransmitters at the synapse. The cerebral hemispheres include the cerebral cortex, underlying white matter and basal ganglia.
