Evaluation of Synaptic transmission (AO3)

• What are the strengths of synaptic transmission?

  > Supporting evidence (Drevets et al)

  > Human brain scanning

  > Used to develop treatments
• How is Drevets et al supporting evidence?

  > Demonstrated that serotonin levels were reduced in the rate nuclei of uneducated depressives using PET scans

  > Shows objective evidence for fewer messages being transmitted around the brain, leading to depression

  > Synaptic transmission ca be decreased if there are not enough neurotransmitters
• How is human brain scanning a strength?

  > Produces evidence of actual brain activity and brain structures at work

  > Scientific credibility and reliability is demonstrated as multiple people can analyse the data and check the results
• How is developing treatments a strength?

  > SSRIs for depression

  > Led to more ethical ways of treating patients with depression compared to more invasive techniques (e.g. ECT)
• What are the weaknesses of synaptic transmission?

  > Refuting evidence (Allen and Stevens)

  > Evidence coming from studying animals

  > Reductionist
• How is refuting evidence (Allen and Stevens) a weakness?

  > Synaptic transmission regarding hippocampus neurons was very unreliable with less than half of the neurotransmitters arriving from the pre-synaptic neuron

  > Shows that it is not as straightforward a process as is described, has limited effectiveness in the transmission of messages around the brain
• How is studying animals a weakness?

  > Evidence was collected by damaging parts of animals brain to see what effect is has

  > Generalising from animals to humans might not be credible as there are differences

  > It also raises ethical concerns
• How is synaptic transmission reductionist?

  > Individual differences in brain functioning and neurotransmitters levels are ignored

  > Simplifies complex behaviour down to the action of a single neurotransmitter