CHAPTER 1

PRINCIPLES OF CHEMICAL
NEUROTRANSMISSION
Modern psychopharmacology is largely
• the story of chemical neurotransmission
• To understand the actions of drugs on the
brain
• to grasp the impact of diseases on the
central nervous system (CNS) and
• to interpret the behavioral consequences of
psychiatric medicines
 The Synapse
• specialized sites that connect two neurons.
 Three Dimensions of
Neurotransmission
Chemical neurotransmission can be described
in three dimensions:
 space,
 time and
function.