Inhibitory Potential Changes of Fluoxetine (Prozac)

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into the synapse from the cytoplasmic and vesicular reservoirs. Following release, serotonin is principally inactivated by reuptake into nerve terminals through a sodium/potassium (Na+/K+) adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) dependent carrier." (Tollefson and Rosenbalum, p. 27, 2001). Problems arise when too much serotonin is recaptured in the reuptake process during synapse or when to little serotonin is being locally manufactured in the central nervous system. As a result, too few serotonin neurotransmitters are able to make it across the synaptic cleft to stimulate postsynaptic receptors. Moreover, "in the absence of pharmacological manipulation, the reuptake of serotonin into the presynaptic nerve terminal typically leads to its inactivation" (Tollefson and Rosenbalum, p. 32, 2001).

Low levels of serotonin have been most commonly linked to depression. For this reason, there have been many attempts by neuroscientists to develop antidepressant drugs that can ...

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