Mental illness, synapses and the brain--behavioral disorders by a system of molecules within a system of neurons?
1Department of Addiction, Isar-Amper-Clinics, Ringstrasse 9, Haar/Munich, Germany. felix.tretter@iak-kmo.de
Abstract:
The multi-level systems view conceiving the brain as a "network of networks of neurons" rises the question how it could be possible to understand this complex system with respect to mental functions and dysfunctions. One crucial issue is related to the analysis of the connectivity of these networks by the study of synapses. Also synapses are complex dynamical molecular systems that can only be understood by computer-based methodologies in order to analyze complex data sets and for modeling complex molecular networks. Many data are available but there is a lack models that capture the dynamic features of synapses that are involved in psychiatric disorders and psychopharmaceutical treatment. One strategy of research could be offered by Systems Biology. Here some challenges for modeling synapses in mental disorders are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters
Disorders of the Nervous Tissue
Homeostatic Imbalances:
Alzheimer's disease manifests as a gradual decline in memory and cognitive abilities, attributed to the buildup of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
Parkinson's disease arises from the...
Neuronal Communication
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Introduction to Biological Bases of Psychology
The nervous system, the cornerstone of...
Chemical Synapses
Because chemical synapses depend on the release of neurotransmitter molecules from synaptic vesicles to pass on their signal, there is an approximately one millisecond delay between when the axon potential reaches the presynaptic terminal and when the neurotransmitter leads to opening of postsynaptic ion channels. Additionally, this signaling is...

