MRCPsych Paper A – Neurotransmitters

Although remembering neurotransmitter metabolic pathways may seem boring and difficult, this knowledge will be a great help to you both clinically and when interpreting research findings.

The information in this module will help you in the following clinical situations:

• remembering likely drug interactions, for example knowing that MAOI and SSRI alter different components of serotoninergic transmission

• understanding adverse drug reactions: knowing why cheese should be avoided by those taking MAOI.

The module will also help with the following research areas:

• interpreting the potential significance of genetic variants in neurotransmitter metabolic pathways, for example knowing that a variant in the enzyme COMT found in schizophrenia could potentially influence noradrenaline and dopamine metabolism

• interpreting the potential significance of studies looking at neurotransmitter metabolites in patients, for example knowing that 5-H1AA metabolites, which have been found to be low in those who have attempted suicide, are degradation products of serotonin.

Availability

This module is free to access for anyone registered with the College as a resident doctor, member, affiliate, Student Associate or Foundation Doctor Associate – just log in with your College details (not OpenAthens) to access the modules. For non-members it is available as part of a TrOn subscription.