The first three neurotransmitters, also known as the monoamines, are perhaps the most notorious and important ones when it comes to the treatment of neurological and psychiatric illnesses. Acetylcholine, another neurotransmitter, is particularly notorious for its involvement in some of the side effects of some psychiatric medications, and may be implicated in the psychiatric side effects of certain medications used to treat conditions that do not affect the brain. The following three sections will cover information about these neurotransmitters, what they do, and how they're dealt with.
Chemically, serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine are similar (and that's why they're in a "family", i.e., the monoamine family). However, through their receptors, they may have striking differences in effect, often working completely against each other. Heck, in terms of the treatment of depression, serotonin can possibly make you both happy AND sad! (more on that in a bit).
Acetylcholine (often referred to incorrectly simply as "choline") is another neurotransmitter with a wide array of effects in the CNS and PNS.
Also note some abbreviations. Serotonin is abbreviated as "5HT", Dopamine as "DA", and Norepinephrine as "NE". Acetylcholine is abbreviated as "ACh".
From here, I invite you to check out these neurotransmitters and the effects of their receptors:
Dopamine (DA) (Under Construction) | Acetylcholine (ACh) (Under Construction)
