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Acetylcholine as Transmitter in the Cerebral Cortex

  • Chapter
Neurotransmitters and Cortical Function

Abstract

Both longer and more firmly established as a peripheral transmitter than any other agent, acetylcholine (ACh) is by no means well defined as a transmitter in the cerebral cortex. As will be made clear below (and by other contributors to this section), it is unlikely that ACh is a fast-acting transmitter at most synapses in the vertebrate CNS. There is a wide consensus rather that ACh modulates synaptic activity by nonconventional mechanisms which tend to suppress outward currents that normally stabilize the membrane potential. In this introductory chapter, salient features of ACh in relation to cortical neurons are briefly reviewed, more detailed descriptions of various actions of ACh being given in the following chapters.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Anaesthesia Research and Physiology, McGill University, H3G 1Y6, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    K. Krnjević

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  1. K. Krnjević
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. McGill University and Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Massimo Avoli  & Pierre Gloor  & 

  2. University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Tomás A. Reader

  3. McGill University and Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Robert W. Dykes

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© 1988 Plenum Press, New York

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Krnjević, K. (1988). Acetylcholine as Transmitter in the Cerebral Cortex. In: Avoli, M., Reader, T.A., Dykes, R.W., Gloor, P. (eds) Neurotransmitters and Cortical Function. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0925-3_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0925-3_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8248-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-0925-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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