Excitatory neurotransmitters: stimulates neural firing
Inhibitory neurotransmitters: inhibits neural firing
Neurotransmitters:
- Acetycholine: muscles, memory; Alzheimer's (low)
- Dopamine: reward & addiction; alertness & movement; Parkinson's (low) vs schizophrenia (high)
- Endorphins: painkiller, opioid, sense of euphoria
- GABA: inhibits neural firing; seizures (low)
- Glutamate: excitatory; memory; migraine & seizure (high)
- Serotonin: concentration, mood, sex; depression (low)
- Norepinephrine/Noradrenaline: attentiveness, learning, sleeping & dreaming; depression (low)
- Substance p: pain signals
Hormones: slow in comparison to neurotransmitters, chemicals secreted by glands
- Adrenaline/Epinephrine: speeds up breathing and heart rate, prepares body for fight or flight
- Leptin: satiety
- Ghrelin: hunger
- Melatonin: regulates natural sleep, sleep-wake cycle
- Oxytocin: bonding, empathy, reproduction