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Axon terminals (also called terminal boutons, synaptic boutons, end-feet, or presynaptic terminals) are distal terminations of the branches of an axon. An axon, also called a nerve fiber, is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell that conducts electrical impulses called action potentials away from the neuron's cell body to transmit those ...
Cocaine also blocks the serotonin transporter and norepinephrine transporter, inhibiting reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine from the synaptic cleft into the pre-synaptic axon terminal and increasing activation of serotonin receptors and norepinephrine receptors in the post-synaptic neuron, contributing to the mental and physical effects ...
Monoamine transporters are established targets for many pharmacological agents that affect brain function, including the psychostimulants cocaine and amphetamine. Cocaine and amphetamine employ different mechanisms that both result in an increase in extracellular monoamines by decreasing reuptake.
These neurotransmitters bind to receptors on the postsynaptic terminal, which may be a neuron, or a muscle cell in the case of a neuromuscular junction. [1] These are collectively referred to as postsynaptic receptors, since they are located on the membrane of the postsynaptic cell.
The effect of these structural changes on behavior is uncertain and studies have produced conflicting results. Two studies [ 18 ] [ 19 ] have shown that an increase in dendritic spine density due to cocaine exposure facilitates behavioral sensitization , while two other studies [ 20 ] [ 21 ] produce contradicting evidence.
The presynaptic axon terminal, or synaptic bouton, is a specialized area within the axon of the presynaptic cell that contains neurotransmitters enclosed in small membrane-bound spheres called synaptic vesicles (as well as a number of other supporting structures and organelles, such as mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum).
At the furthest end, the axon loses its insulation and begins to branch into several axon terminals. These presynaptic terminals, or synaptic boutons, are a specialized area within the axon of the presynaptic cell that contains neurotransmitters enclosed in small membrane-bound spheres called synaptic vesicles. [citation needed]
The net potential is then transmitted to the axon hillock, where the action potential is initiated. Another factor that should be considered is the summation of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs. The spatial summation of an inhibitory input will nullify an excitatory input. This widely observed effect is called inhibitory 'shunting' of ...