Table 2. Summary of Function, Site of Synthesis, and Augmenting Substances of Neurotransmitters Implicated in BD.

This table summarizes the functions, sites of synthesis, and augmenting substances of neurotransmitters implicated in BD, adapted from various scholarly sources [8-15]. 

BD, bipolar disorder; NE, norepinephrine; 5-HT, 5-hydroxytryptamine; GABA, gamma-aminobutyric acid; DA, dopamine

Summary of Function, Site of Synthesis, and Augmenting Substances of Neurotransmitters Implicated in BD
	Function	Site(s) of synthesis	Augmenting medication/substances
NE	Major NT of the sympathetic nervous system; regulates mood, arousal, attention, memory, and vascular sympathetic tone	Locus coeruleus	Stimulants, cocaine, bupropion, mirtazapine, SNRIs, TCAs
Serotonin (5-HT)	Responsible for modulating mood, sleep, appetite, and stress responses	Raphe nucleus	SSRIs, mirtazapine, and other atypical antidepressants, SNRIs, TCAs, serotonin antagonists, and reuptake inhibitors
GABA	Inhibitory neurotransmitter that helps regulate the excitability of neurons in the brain	Nucleus accumbens	Alcohol, benzodiazepines, phenobarbital, non-benzodiazepine hypnotics
DA	Responsible for mood regulation, motivation, reward processing, and movement	Substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, hypothalamus	Some antipsychotics, bupropion, NMDAr antagonists, MAO-B inhibitors, COMT inhibitors, DA agonists, decarboxylase inhibitors, DA precursors
Glutamate	Excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter involved in memory, executive function, and mood regulation	Glial cells	Alcohol, PCP, cocaine, nicotine