Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

« Back to Farmacia Journal 2/2019

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT NEUROTRANSMITTERS INVOLVED IN COGNITIVE PROCESSES

CLAUDIA HANDRA 1, OANA ANDREIA COMAN 2, LAURENȚIU COMAN 3, TUDOR ENACHE 4, SMARANDA STOLERU 2, ADELINA-MIHAELA SORESCU 2, ISABEL GHIȚĂ 2*, ION FULGA 2

1.Department of Work Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
2.Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
3.Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
4.Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania

Download Full Article PDF

Memory is one of the most complex cognitive functions. Conventionally, one the most important neurotransmitter system implicated in its regulation is the cholinergic system. However, literature certifies that other substances can be associated with certain memory processes as well, for example, the dopaminergic system, the NMDA receptors and the serotoninergic receptors, either direct, or by forming receptor complexes. Aside from these, the adrenergic system has been proven to work synergistically with the cholinergic system. Proving the interaction between nicotine and other neurotransmitters, as well as their involvement in cognition, opened a number of therapeutic possibilities for degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. That is to say, future research needs to focus on the potential therapies using these interactions.