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health advisory Hospital Doctor Yu 2007-11-8 19:08:48

I am taking an in depth look at this topic. Where can I find more information on the role of the cholenergic system and psych medicines.

Answers:

Cells throughout your body (in the brain and peripheral nervous system) release the chemical acetylcholine onto other cells in order to communicate with them. The parasympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system and the somatic nervous system both do this. Again, there are also cells in your brain that release acetylcholine.

In Dementia of the Alzheimer's type, drugs that increase the levels of acetylcholine available for cell-cell signaling are effective. They, therefore, increase the signaling between cells, which is compromised in the disorder.

However, there are other roles for this transmitter in psychiatric disorders. First of all, a lot of other drugs (antidepressants, for example) unintentionally block acetylcholine, leading to common side effects of dry mouth, constipation, etc. This is an unfortunate "side effect".

Blockers of acetylcholine are also given to people taking antipsychotic drugs as they seem to lessen some of the motor side effects of the drugs.

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look in the physiology text books to understand the importance of the sympathomymetic system

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Basically the cholinergic system consists of receptors in the brain such as your dopaminergic and serotinergic receptors. The malfunctioning of these receptors are what causes some mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia, manic states, and others. The psych medicines usually work my keeping the neurotransmitters(serotonin, GABA, dopamine.etc.) in the synapse longer.

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