编辑“精神藥理學”（章节）

== 化學訊號 ==

=== [[神经递质|神經遞質]]<ref>{{Cite book|edition=12 e|chapter=|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/898154491|location=Australia|isbn=9781305105409|oclc=898154491|first=Kalat, James|last=W,|title=Biological psychology|publisher=|year=|pages=49-57}}</ref>===


精神作用藥物通常用[[神经递质|神經遞質]]來影響{{Tsl|en|Neurotransmission|神經傳導}}。[[神经递质|神經遞質]]主要一種化學物質來讓[[神經元]]互相溝通，而精神作用藥物則影響這個溝通過程。這些藥物可以

# 作為[[神经递质|神經遞質]]的[[前体|前體]]（precursor）（作為製造[[神经递质|神經遞質]]的原材料）
# 壓抑[[神经递质|神經遞質]]的生成
# 避免[[突触小泡]]（presynaptic vesicle）儲存[[神经递质|神經遞質]]
# 刺激或抑制[[神经递质|神經遞質]]釋出
# 刺激或抑制後突觸（post-synaptic）的[[受体 (生物化学)|受體]]運作（Receptor）
# 刺激再攝取泵（autoreceptor），減少[[神经递质|神經遞質]]釋出
# 阻礙再攝取泵（autoreceptor），增加[[神经递质|神經遞質]]釋出
# 壓抑{{Tsl|en|Neurotransmission|神經傳導}} breakdown
# 阻礙前突觸（presynaptic）被{{Tsl|en|reuptake|再吸收}}（reuptake）

=== [[激素]] ===
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The other central method through which drugs act is by affecting communications between cells through hormones. Neurotransmitters can usually only travel a microscopic distance before reaching their target at the other side of the synaptic cleft, while hormones can travel long distances before reaching target cells anywhere in the body. Thus, the endocrine system is a critical focus of psychopharmacology because 1) drugs can alter the secretion of many hormones; 2) hormones may alter the behavioral responses to drugs; 3) hormones themselves sometimes have psychoactive properties; and 4) the secretion of some hormones, especially those dependent on the pituitary gland, is controlled by neurotransmitter systems in the brain.
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