Glutamate: Learning and Memory

Glutamate: Learning and Memory

The full name of glutamate is monosodium glutamate. As far as neurotransmitters are concerned, serotonin and dopamine are studied more frequently than glutamate. Glutamate is a powerful excitatory neurotransmitter (major neurotransmitter in the mammalian central system), it plays an important role in learning and memory.

Neurons are brain cells, which release chemicals (neurotransmitters) in the brain; it is a form of communication within the brain, as well as, between the brain and the organism as a whole. Thus, glutamate is the primary excitatory neurotransmitter. In this short essay, we discuss the subject.

Certain medications, such as Lamotrigine (mood stabilizer and the actual medicinal ingredient of the generic version, while the brand names are numerous, including Lamictal) inhibit the release of glutamate into the brain. Glutamate is also a precursor to epinephrine. Other medications also alter brain chemistry, such as antidepressants (increase serotonin) and antipsychotics (decrease dopamine).

Among other roles, neurotransmitters have been linked to mental and physical ailments. For example, too much dopamine can result in psychosis and schizophrenia, while a lack of serotonin is responsible for depression. Also too little dopamine results in Parkinson’s disease. Thus, the brain needs normal function and the proper amount of neurotransmitters.

The brain is very complex, and thus, it is quite difficult to study. Interestingly, the belief that we only use 5-7% of our brain is false. All the brain is active all the time, even when we sleep. Hence, there is a concept in Neuroscience called the subtraction method. The usual brain’s activity is compared with localized activity in the brain to determine which part(s) respond(s) to the stimulus/stimuli.

Learning and Memory. Photo be Elena

Furthermore, glutamate underlies such processes as spatial learning and hippocampus-dependent-memory. However, some individuals have some form of mental illness (1 in 5 people across in Canada are affected). Therefore, these individuals are prescribed medications that lower the amount of glutamate in the brain. Thus, their ability to learn and their memory are affected.

Also, some believe that other prescriptions, such as Clonazepam, cause irreversible brain damage. Others live happily on such medications and experience far better results than without the medications.

On the topic of mental health:

Many persons with schizophrenia refuse to take their medication altogether. One of the problems with schizophrenia is that persons stop taking their prescribed medications, because of the difficult side effects. But, if they are seen by a Psychiatrist at the onset, they could have worked together as a team and find the dose and medication that is both efficient and has either mild side effects, or at least undetectable to the person taking the medication.

Moreover, some pathologies are brought about when the glutamatergic pathway is dysregulated. Again, neural (brain) cells must be in balance, and many (mental health) prescriptions target respective causes of the disorder. Glutamate has been linked to neurodegenerative, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental and other disorders.

What is more, compared to other disciplines, little is known on a variety of subjects focusing on the brain, as neuroscience is a fairly new science. Glutamate is a also a precursor to GABA, which is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.