Posted by grapebubblegum on August 19, 2001, at 21:11:43
In reply to Re: Can someone interpret this?, posted by Sherry on August 19, 2001, at 19:23:10
Well, I think that at least in the case of the NT's being discussed, the depression is supposedly caused by a shortage of NT in the synapse. Therefore, if the NT in question is blocked from being reabsorbed, it spends more time in the synaptic cleft than it would have without the "blockade." The theory being that in some cases depressed people MAKE enough of a certain neurotransmittor but then it is taken up too quickly or in too great a number at the other side of the synapse. Think of a tennis ball shooting machine being the first part of the synapse and some tennis court attendants picking up those balls being the other side of the synapse. The blockade or reuptake inhibition would be the benching of some of those attendants so that the tennis balls can spend some time on the court (the synaptic cleft, as my analogy goes) instead of being snatched right up.
My standard disclaimer of "pardon my ignorance" goes too, in case I am wrong; that is just my rough understanding.
poster:grapebubblegum
thread:75266
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010814/msgs/75632.html