Neurology, Addiction and Psychiatry Conference

Neurochemistry is the science that deals with chemical mechanisms and substances involved in neural communication in the brain. It has fundamental functions in the actions of brain functions related to behavior, cognition, and emotivity. The chemicals, understood as neurotransmitters, are essential agents regulating mood, memory, learning, and movement. The principal neurotransmitters responsible for maintaining neural activity and health in the brain include dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, glutamate, and GABA.

Neurochemistry is a part of the synaptic transmission, where the neurotransmitters released from one neuron bind to the receptors of another, thereby helping in the communication of signal messages throughout the nervous system. Neurochemicals are to be present in a balance state for normal function of the brain, which finds disruption during the states of neurological and psychiatric diseases including depression, anxiety, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease, and schizophrenia. For instance, loss of production of dopamine will cause Parkinson's disease while an imbalance in levels of serotonin will cause mood disorder cases such as depression.

Among the major thrusts of neurochemical research is understanding how different neurotransmitters influence certain brain functions and how dysregulation in them contributes to disease. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter linked with the brain's reward system, and its dysregulation has been implicated in disorders such as addiction and schizophrenia. Serotonin is important for mood regulation, and disturbances in serotonin pathways often have become targets within the treatment of depression, with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Glutamate and GABA are two major neurotransmitters involved in maintaining the balance between excitatory and inhibitory signals in the brain. Glutamate is linked to learning and memory, but if this neurotransmitter is present in excess it can be cytotoxic by causing excitotoxicity, which kills neurons, and has been linked to diseases such as stroke and ALS. GABA is the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain and acts as a brake on the nervous system to protect against overactivity; deficiency leads to seizures or indeed anxiety disorders.

Neurochemistry research also encompasses neuropeptides, hormones, and other molecules activating and regulating the brain. Investigations in this area advance our knowledge of neurochemical signaling and push forward new therapeutic approaches against neurological and psychiatric disorders. Since neurotransmitter imbalances cause many of these conditions, the idea here is to target specific neurotransmitter systems to restore balance in the brain and improve mental health.

Neurochemical research is paving the way for a new wave of more personalized treatments. Personalized medicine means treatment tailored to an individual's neurochemical makeup. For quite some years, advances in neurochemical research have been very much in the news and are promising to improve treatment outcomes for diseases such as depression, bipolar disorder, and neurodegenerative diseases.