Yes. A neurotransmitter can have one effect in one part of the brain and a totally different effect in another part of the brain.
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For example - dopamine triggers the 'reward' centre of the brain, which remembers things that felt good and makes you want to do them again. Doing anything you enjoy causes dopamine release; so do cocaine and methamphetamine, which is why they're addictive.
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Meanwhile, down in the motor centre of the brain, dopamine helps regulate muscle movement. Not producing enough dopamine causes muscle tremors like you see in people with Parkinson's disease.
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...and in the "mesolimbic pathway", too much dopamine can cause schizophrenia (hallucinations, and flat or irregular emotional responses).
Three different parts of the brain, same neurotransmitter, three totally different effects.
Three different parts of the brain, same neurotransmitter, three totally different effects.
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Check out serotonin for another good example. That chemical, depending where it is, can help you stop bleeding, make you feel happy, make you feel hungry, give you diarrhea, cause burning pain, or make you feel sleepy. In babies, it might be related to SIDS (crib death).
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Yes - it all depends on what the receptor sites are coded to do.