Acetylcholine (ACh). Usually excitatory. Attention, arousal, motivation, memory, skeletal muscle movement. Skeletal muscles and hippocampus. In muscles, botulism toxin prevents release of Acetylcholine (Ach). Curare and cobra venom block receptor sites. Venom of black widow spider and certain nerve gases have a destroy Enzyme (AchE) that degrades Ach, allowing it to flood the synapse and prolong its action, causing convulsions. Possible link to Alzheimer's via reduced production of Ach in brain cells.
Dopamine. General Wide range of behavior and emotions. Excess = schizophrenia; shortage = Parkinson's disease. Chlorpromazine, a tranquilizer, blocks receptor sites in brain. Cocaine also inhibits reuptake of dopamine. This was the neurotransmitter focused on in the book/movie Awakenings, especially its chemical precursor L-Dopa.
Norepinephrine (NE). Generally excitatory. Arousal, wakefulness, learning, memory, mood. Neurons in brain stem. Amphetamines, cocaine slow down reuptake and prolong action, lithium speeds up the reuptake
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA): Inhibitory. Glutamate. Involved in long term potentiation. Endorphins : (name composed of endogenous morphine: naturalopiate-like neurotransmitter--or often referred to asneuromodulator—which is linked to pain control and pleasure
Midbrain (limbic system): The region between hindbrain and forebrain which is important for hearing and sight and is one of the primary places in the brain where pain is registered. Hippocampus and amygdala.
Forebrain a. Thalamus b. Hypothalamus c. Cerebrum/Cerebral hemispheres d. Cerebral Cortex