Last updated on March 4th, 2020 at 05:25 am
A brief, but informative guide to common nootropic and neuroscience terms and defintions.
Table of Contents
Endogenous
Produced in the body and brain naturally, e.g. dopamine.
Exogenous
Introduced into the body via artificial means, e.g. testosterone injections.
MAO-B
Short for monoamine oxidase type B. Briefly put, it’s an enzyme that metabolizes dopamine, norepinephrine, phenethylamine (PEA). As a result, it can produce metabolites like 3-4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) and homovanillic acid (HVA). The metabolites themselves are harmless. But they can react with free radicals and form free radicals. Due to this, they can indirectly cause oxidative stress to neurons resulting in neuronal death.
Phenethylamine (PEA)
An endogenous compound that has amphetamine-like effects. In particular, it releases dopamine and noradrenaline. Though, PEA has a short half-life because of MAO-B, one of the primary metabolizers of PEA.
Moreover, exogenous PEA can be supplemented but its effects are very short-lived. This is due to MAO-B quickly metabolizing it. However, if MAO-B is fully inhibited, then the effects can become more intense and longer-lasting.
Striatum
A part of the brain that’s important in reward, motivation, and reward perception. Also, it is a key part of the brain’s reward system.