Neurotransmission of cognition, part 3. Mechanism of action of selective NRIs: both dopamine and norepinephrine increase in prefrontal cortex.
Selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors exploit the fact that dopamine transporters are absent in prefrontal cortex, so dopamine has to hitchhike a ride on the norepinephrine transporter in order to be inactivated. Thus, blocking norepinephrine transporters leads to an increase in both dopamine and norepinephrine levels in prefrontal cortex as well as improvement in cognition in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Stahl
Stephen M
SM
Neuroscience Education Institute, Carlsbad, CA 92009, USA.
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D027981:Symporters / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects*
D018759:Adrenergic Uptake Inhibitors; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C493227:SLC6A2 protein, human; D027981:Symporters; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine