15.1 Mood Disorders

• State of feeling sad, helpless, and lacking in energy and pleasure for weeks at a time.
• Low levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor)

Depression after giving birth

• Drugs that prevent the presynaptic synapses that release serotonin and catecholamine molecules from reabsorbing them.
• Prolongs the presence of neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft
• Causes drowsiness, dry mouth, heart irregularities, difficulty peeing.

Drugs that block the reuptake of serotonin into the presynaptic terminal

• Block MAO, a presynaptic terminal enzyme that metabolizes serotonin and catecholamines into inactive forms
• So the presynaptic terminal has more neurotransmitters available for release

Miscellaneous antidepressants with mild side effects

• Electrically inducing a convulsion in an attempt to relieve depression or other disorder
• Increases proliferation of neurons in the hippocampus, responsiveness to exercise

Condition in which a patient alternates between depression and mania (restless activity, self-confidence, excitement, rambling speech, loss of inhibitions).

• Stabilizes mood in bipolar patients
• Decrease glutamate activity
• Blocks synthesis of arachidonic acid, synthesized during brain inflammation

• Are phase-delayed unlike patients with other forms of depression
• Explanation: light affecting serotonin synapses and altering circadian rhythms

Unawareness of stimuli to which a person did not direct their attention

• Burst of stimuli leaving a synapse potentiated for long periods of time
• Specificity - only the most active synapse is strengthened
• Cooperativity - nearly simultaneous stimulation by two or more axons produce much more LTP
• Associativity - pairing a weak input with a strong input enhances later response to the weak input

• Glutamate receptor that also responds to AMPA
• When massively stimulated by glutamate, the AMPA receptor allows nearby NMDA receptors to be stimulated by glutamate also.

• Glutamate receptor that also responds to NMDA
• When stimulated, allows calcium to enter the cell, which sets into motion a series of reactions that potentiate the dendrite's future responsiveness to glutamate at AMPA receptors.