Brain Dominos

Here we are in the 21st century and we still have terrible diseases and mental disorders that do not have cures. In the United States alone, 4.5 million people have Alzheimer’s, 1.5 million people have Parkinson’s, and 2.4 million people have schizophrenia. These disorders have debilitating effects on people. Currently, the outlook for someone who has one of these disorders is not good. However, there is something that is linked to these particular diseases and mental disorders - neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that neurons (brain cells) use to communicate with each other. There are around 100 known neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and neurohormones. Of these 100 or so, a handful have been identified that are essential for most of our cognitive functions. Two of them, acetylcholine and dopamine, are related to the disorders mentioned earlier: Alzheimer’s - not enough acetylcholine, Parkinson’s – not enough dopamine, and schizophrenia – too much dopamine. Other disorders such as depression, ADHD, anxiety, and autism have also been linked to neurotransmitter functioning.

The fact that we know these disorders are related to specific chemical activity in the brain is a step in the right direction. These disorders might topple like dominos after we understand how neurotransmitters work. When we figure out acetylcholine, we could find a cure for Alzheimer’s. When we figure out dopamine, we could cure schizophrenia and Parkinson’s. When we figure out the other neurotransmitters, we could cure depression, ADHD, and many others. This isn’t just blind optimism about the future. Vaccines are currently being tested for treating Alzheimer’s. It’s very possible that these brain dominos will start falling within the next ten years.