Posted by SLS on January 27, 2008, at 6:22:52
In reply to Neurotransmitters: a broad + interesting topic, posted by ShawnThomas on January 22, 2008, at 15:24:26
Hi Shawn.
I am a bit taken back by your assertion that the study of the brain should be understood within the boundaries of studying neurotransmitters. Many investigations into brain function do not mention neurotransmitters, but rather, discuss anatomy, circuitry, neuron cell numbers, glial cell fraction, tissue mass, myelination, downstream cascades, blood flow, nuclear events, and a bunch more stuff - much of which you have already mentioned.
> As a person who has done much to promote the spread of web-based information related to neurotransmitters and their receptors, I must say that the negative connotations associated with the term "neurotransmitter" really concern me.
I have never heard of such a thing. What are these connotations, and where do you find them? I don't believe that this is a problem here.
> A vast majority of the psychiatric drugs either on the market or in clinical trials directly affect one of the following:
>
> A. *Neurotransmitter* receptors
> B. *Neurotransmitter* transporters
> C. *Neurotransmitter* concentrationsWhether or not this is true is not the issue. Why set limits unnecessarily?
Neuroscience is all-encompassing. It does not suffer from being what I regard as being a myopic perspective regarding the topics to be discussed. While it is true that the majority of current antidepressant drugs can be conceptualized as tropic upon your three neurotransmission inclusions, what of the future? I think it is too esoteric to reach for ways that describe the biology and treatment of mental illness as a study of neurotransmitter molecules. Is a hormone a neurotransmitter? It certainly can be defined as one if you want to. What about all the peptides that influence neuronal tone? Are there receptors for these molecules throughout the body, including the brain. Yes. A receptor is anything that accepts a ligand that changes some function.
Most everything can be regarded as related to neurotransmission in that physiological events can, through a flow diagram, be shown to be related to the messengers that facilitate the communication between brain cells, including glia - if you reach far enough. Why work so hard to make this connection? Why not simply make this new board a place where any topic related to the study of neuropsychobiology be nurtured? You never know when pure science will yield clinical applications.
I continue to like my idea as you do yours.
Respectfully,
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:806657
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20071106/msgs/809142.html