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Video | Multiple Sclerosis
A healthy life depends on the free flow of nerve impulses. However, multiple sclerosis damages nerve fibers in many places, with ever-changing consequences. Thanks to modern medicine, however, it is possible to live almost normally for a long time with MS.
01.05.2017
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- Glossary
Acetylcholine
Acetylcholine is one of the most important neurotransmitters in the nervous system. In the central nervous system, it is involved in attention, learning, and memory; in the peripheral nervous system, it transmits excitation from nerves to muscles at the neuromuscular end plates and controls processes of the autonomic nervous system, i.e., the sympathetic and parasympathetic parts. Areas in which acetylcholine acts as a messenger substance are called cholinergic. It was the first neurotransmitter to be discovered, identified in 1921 by Otto Loewi in the heart of a frog.
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- Glossary
Adrenaline
Along with dopamine and norepinephrine, it belongs to the catecholamines. Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is the classic stress hormone. It is produced in the adrenal medulla and causes an increase in heart rate and heartbeat strength, thus preparing the body for increased stress. In the brain, adrenaline also acts as a neurotransmitter (messenger substance), where it binds to so-called adrenoreceptors.
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- Glossary
Biomarker
In medicine, a biomarker is a substance that provides information about the physiological state of an organism. Biomarkers can either be produced in the body itself or describe chemical compounds that doctors introduce into the body to test certain physiological functions. Several indicators, for example, are being discussed as possible biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease. These include the concentration of soluble amyloid precursor protein in the blood and the activity of the enzyme that cleaves the precursor protein to produce plaque-forming beta-amyloid. Disease-related changes detected by imaging techniques are also often referred to as biomarkers. For example, the breakdown of brain tissue can be detected by MRI.
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- Glossary
CGRP
The abbreviation stands for calcitonin gene-related peptide. It refers to a messenger substance in the nervous system that consists of 37 amino acids. CGRP is produced in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. The peptide dilates the blood vessels. Migraine patients often have elevated CGRP levels. The effect of CGRP is of interest for other diseases, such as circulatory disorders or coronary heart disease.
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- Glossary
Dopamine
Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that belongs to the catecholamine group. It plays a role in motor function, motivation, emotion, and cognitive processes. Disruptions in the function of this transmitter play a role in many brain disorders, such as schizophrenia, depression, Parkinson's disease, and substance dependence.
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- Glossary
excitatory
Exciting synapses are described as excitatory when they depolarize the subsequent cell membrane and can thus lead to the formation of an action potential. An excitatory effect is usually produced by an exciting transmitter (messenger substance), such as glutamate. The opposite is an inhibitory synapse.
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- Glossary
Vitreous body
The vitreous body consists of a gel-like substance inside the eye that supports the shape of the eye.
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- Glossary
Glutamate
Glutamate is an amino acid and the most important excitatory neurotransmitter, which acts as a messenger substance in the transmission of information between neurons at their synapses.
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- Glossary
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland in the brain when it is dark. Melatonin levels are highest at night and then decrease throughout the day. This makes it an important messenger substance for the "internal clock" and it appears to play a particularly important role in regulating sleep.
