A group of Canadian researchers have discovered a part of the brain which, when stimulated by the neurotransmitter dopamine, triggers a rise in calcium in the brain. Neurotransmitters, which include acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin, transmit nerve impulses across the gap between two neurons. (That gap is known as a synapse.)
Why does this rise in calcium matter? It's important because calcium has a profound effect on almost all brain functions. Researchers think people with schizophrenia may have disordered calcium signals in their brain, so understanding how to trigger calcium release could be an important step in the direction of understanding how schizophrenia works in the brain.
-- Summarized from NewsRx


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