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How are the effects of drugs in the brain, in terms of neurotransmitters measured? For example, Selective Seretonin Reuptake Inhibitors are a class of anti-depressants. How was and is this type of information about hor neurotransmitters act obtained?

Seanny123
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Chris
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  • It is unclear what you're asking. – jona Nov 11 '15 at 13:39
  • I mean what tools or techniques are used to measure these types of things? Like if a drug releases dopamine, it's not just a wild guess there must have been a way to come to that conclusion. To know which receptors it activates and all that. – Chris Nov 11 '15 at 14:10
  • I spent like 10min looking around on google and couldn't find anything. Then came here. – Chris Nov 11 '15 at 14:11
  • I'm not sure there are many drugs that "take up" or "activate" dopamine by the way. – jona Nov 11 '15 at 14:34
  • I made a pretty big edit, let me know if it gets to the core of what you wanted to ask. – Seanny123 Nov 11 '15 at 20:44
  • Yeah that's basically what I am asking. You said it clearer that what I wrote. Like is this with some sort of scanning device or is it a Theory from cutting open the brain and looking at it with a microscope? – Chris Nov 11 '15 at 23:51
  • I remember to have read somewhere that they do the measurement from gut but not sure – CuriousSuperhero Nov 12 '15 at 06:08
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    I'd recommend this previous answer which, I think, answers most of your questions. Surprisingly, many drugs are discovered by accident and their mechanisms are often worked out in the lab, or in animals, rather than in vivo. http://cogsci.stackexchange.com/questions/1748/which-neurotransmitters-can-be-measured-in-a-living-human-brain?rq=1 – splint Nov 12 '15 at 10:03
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    look up "microdialysis" – honi Nov 16 '15 at 01:49

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