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Module 9 - Limbic Neurotransmitters
Verified and Updated Questions and
Answers (100% Correct Answers)
Ach in the PNS
Answer: ACh is the neurotransmitter released at the neuromuscular junction
Ach in the ANS
Answer: ACh is used in both the sympathetic (preganglionic) and parasympathetic
(pre- & postganglionic) divisions
Within the CNS, there are high concentrations of
Answer: cholinergic neurons in the midbrain reticular formation (which facilitate
wakefulness) and in the basal forebrain (areas at the base of the frontal lobes just
anterior to the hypothalamus, including the septal nuclei and the nucleus basalis of
Meynert).
The cholinergic nuclei in the basal forebrain play a crucial role in the establishment
of
Answer: memory
Memory formation involves an alteration in the strength of
Answer: neural connections.
Acetylcholine acts on target neurons in the
Answer: cerebral cortex (for example, the hippocampus), strengthening the neural
circuits that are involved in memory formation
Cholenergic Side Effects:
Tricyclic "antidepressants"
Answer: have anti-cholinergic properties - sedation, autonomic dysfunction (e.g.,
constipation), and memory impairment (especially in older individuals who may have
underlying dementia
Serotonin (5-HT) is a monoamine (specifically, an indoleamine) that is produced by
Answer: raphe nuclei, small groups of serotonergic neurons within the reticular
formation extending from the medulla to the midbrain (the reticular formation is a
collection of nuclei that lie in the brainstem and basal forebrain and are involved in
many different functions)
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Raphe nuclei have widespread projections to
Answer: limbic system structures.
A disruption in the normal connection of serotonergic nuclei to limbic system
structures is thought to contribute to
Answer: depression (at least in some individuals)
Dopamine is a monoamine (specifically, a catecholamine) that is produced by
Answer: several different nuclear groups in the brain. One of these nuclear groups -
the ventral tegmental area (VTA) - is located in the midbrain, and has major
connections to limbic system structures via the mesolimbic and mesocortical
pathways.
Dopamine & Mesolimbic pathway
Answer: (VTA --> nucleus accumbens) and other limbic system structures such as
the amygdala - involved in pleasure and reward; stimulation of this pathway results
in a sense of pleasure
Dopamine & Mesocortical pathway
Answer: (VTA --> prefrontal cortex) - involved in motivational behavior; tied to
pleasure and reward.
Dopamine (via the mesolimbic & mesocortical pathways) plays a major role in
Answer: addiction.
Drugs like cocaine and amphetamine artificially stimulate
Answer: the pathways of the endogenous reward system by increasing the
availability of dopamine in the synaptic cleft, resulting in the feelings of intense
elation, joy and invincibility
Cocaine is a highly addictive psychostimulant that blocks the
Answer: reuptake of monoamines.
Major targets for cocaine are the
Answer: dopaminergic sites in the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex.
Cocaine addiction - changes to dopamine
Answer: given that the significant increase in dopamine at the synaptic cleft is not
the natural balance the brain is used to, over time there is a change in the sensitivity
of the receptors to the increased levels of dopamine, resulting in a need for the
addict to use more cocaine to induce the desired effect (i.e., tolerance).
Module 9 - Limbic Neurotransmitters
Verified and Updated Questions and
Answers (100% Correct Answers)
Ach in the PNS
Answer: ACh is the neurotransmitter released at the neuromuscular junction
Ach in the ANS
Answer: ACh is used in both the sympathetic (preganglionic) and parasympathetic
(pre- & postganglionic) divisions
Within the CNS, there are high concentrations of
Answer: cholinergic neurons in the midbrain reticular formation (which facilitate
wakefulness) and in the basal forebrain (areas at the base of the frontal lobes just
anterior to the hypothalamus, including the septal nuclei and the nucleus basalis of
Meynert).
The cholinergic nuclei in the basal forebrain play a crucial role in the establishment
of
Answer: memory
Memory formation involves an alteration in the strength of
Answer: neural connections.
Acetylcholine acts on target neurons in the
Answer: cerebral cortex (for example, the hippocampus), strengthening the neural
circuits that are involved in memory formation
Cholenergic Side Effects:
Tricyclic "antidepressants"
Answer: have anti-cholinergic properties - sedation, autonomic dysfunction (e.g.,
constipation), and memory impairment (especially in older individuals who may have
underlying dementia
Serotonin (5-HT) is a monoamine (specifically, an indoleamine) that is produced by
Answer: raphe nuclei, small groups of serotonergic neurons within the reticular
formation extending from the medulla to the midbrain (the reticular formation is a
collection of nuclei that lie in the brainstem and basal forebrain and are involved in
many different functions)
, Inquire through: | Professional | Confidential Support
Raphe nuclei have widespread projections to
Answer: limbic system structures.
A disruption in the normal connection of serotonergic nuclei to limbic system
structures is thought to contribute to
Answer: depression (at least in some individuals)
Dopamine is a monoamine (specifically, a catecholamine) that is produced by
Answer: several different nuclear groups in the brain. One of these nuclear groups -
the ventral tegmental area (VTA) - is located in the midbrain, and has major
connections to limbic system structures via the mesolimbic and mesocortical
pathways.
Dopamine & Mesolimbic pathway
Answer: (VTA --> nucleus accumbens) and other limbic system structures such as
the amygdala - involved in pleasure and reward; stimulation of this pathway results
in a sense of pleasure
Dopamine & Mesocortical pathway
Answer: (VTA --> prefrontal cortex) - involved in motivational behavior; tied to
pleasure and reward.
Dopamine (via the mesolimbic & mesocortical pathways) plays a major role in
Answer: addiction.
Drugs like cocaine and amphetamine artificially stimulate
Answer: the pathways of the endogenous reward system by increasing the
availability of dopamine in the synaptic cleft, resulting in the feelings of intense
elation, joy and invincibility
Cocaine is a highly addictive psychostimulant that blocks the
Answer: reuptake of monoamines.
Major targets for cocaine are the
Answer: dopaminergic sites in the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex.
Cocaine addiction - changes to dopamine
Answer: given that the significant increase in dopamine at the synaptic cleft is not
the natural balance the brain is used to, over time there is a change in the sensitivity
of the receptors to the increased levels of dopamine, resulting in a need for the
addict to use more cocaine to induce the desired effect (i.e., tolerance).
