Anyone have a special interest in neurotransmitters?

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zette
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15 Jun 2012, 3:05 pm

I'd like to understand more about the effects of medications on neurotransmitters and how it affects brain function. Is there anyone here with a special interest in the topic or brain function in general who could recommend a few starter books to me?



kt24
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15 Jun 2012, 3:43 pm

That's my interest!

Easy place to start: search on google for Biological Psychology. That'll find you some starter books on brain physiology and neurons and the like.
If you want to know about effects on medications, try neuropharmacology.


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OddDuckNash99
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15 Jun 2012, 9:10 pm

Yes. That is my special interest in my field of neuroscience/neuropsychiatry, other than fMRI. For a good intro book on neuroscience, I highly recommend James W. Kalat's textbook called (ironically enough, from kt24's suggestion) Biological Psychology. It was the textbook used in my first-semester college neuro class, and I cannot praise this work enough. Wonderful explanations and diagrams.

If you are not familiar with neurotransmitter function or neurotransmission in general already, I strongly suggest reading intro-level neuropsychiatry books before delving into hardcore neuropharmacology. Higher-level books will already assume you know what glutamate, GABA, norepinephrine, etc. do in NORMAL brain function. They just will dive right in and explain how a specific medication works as an agonist or antagonist for one or more neurotransmitters. Another place to start (if you have an interest in a specific disorder) would be books written for patients by professionals to explain how their disorder works. I first learned basic neurotransmitter actions/functions from the basic neuroscience sections of The Bipolar Survival Guide and Tormenting Thoughts and Secret Rituals: The Hidden Epidemic of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. If you have any particular questions, feel free to PM me.


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CuriousKitten
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15 Jun 2012, 10:40 pm

unfortunately, Biological Psychology costs $65 for a used paperback on Amazon -- no kindle version available :-(



pensieve
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16 Jun 2012, 1:41 am

I'm interested in neuroscience. All I've read is basic research journals about certain subjects I've been interested in.

You could start with The Brain That Changes Itself. It doesn't have much on neurotransmitters but it's quite interesting. It goes through the history of what Man knew about the brain and what brought us up to our understanding today with discovering the brain is actually more malleable than we once thought it was. There are some very interesting stories about how certain exercises that take advantage of this property of the brain to help stroke survivors rehabilitate, make children overcome learning disorders, even helped one woman develop enough intelligence despite the fact she was born with only one half of her brain working.
There's some mention of autism in there as well.


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kt24
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16 Jun 2012, 8:35 am

I wasn't suggesting a book- just search on google or something for free.

Though if you are looking for a book, the Bio psych book by Fred Toates is good.


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cbeckmandc
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16 Jun 2012, 7:51 pm

I have a Masters in pharmacology (study of drug/body interactions including neurotransmitter interactions). The main textbook we used was Goodman and Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics. Just about everything you might want to know is their. Here is the link: Amazon

BTW, not a bad special interest for an Aspie to have. Drug companies have lots of money. :-)

I used to work for them, but now work for myself as a chiropractor.