Question:easy
In depression, there is a deficiency of which neurotransmitter?
In depression, there is a deficiency of which neurotransmitter?
Show Hint
Think which neurotransmitter SSRIs target to relieve low mood.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- 5-HT
- Acetylcholine
- Dopamine
- GABA
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Recall the biochemical model behind mood disorders. Antidepressant drugs work by raising levels of monoamines in the synaptic cleft, which tells us that a shortage of these chemicals underlies the depressed state.
Step 2: The two monoamines that fall in depression are serotonin and noradrenaline, but examination favourites point to serotonin (5-HT) as the prime culprit because SSRIs, which act purely on serotonin, reliably lift mood.
Step 3: Eliminate the distractors using disease associations. A dopamine surplus drives psychotic symptoms, falling acetylcholine produces the memory loss of dementia, and low GABA tone favours anxiety and convulsions. None of these describes the core deficit in depression.
Step 4: Cross-checking against mania, where noradrenaline is high, reinforces that depression sits at the opposite end with low serotonergic drive. Hence 5-HT is the answer.
$Depression \propto \dfrac{1}{[5\text{-}HT]}$ \[\boxed{\text{5-HT (serotonin)}}\]
Step 2: The two monoamines that fall in depression are serotonin and noradrenaline, but examination favourites point to serotonin (5-HT) as the prime culprit because SSRIs, which act purely on serotonin, reliably lift mood.
Step 3: Eliminate the distractors using disease associations. A dopamine surplus drives psychotic symptoms, falling acetylcholine produces the memory loss of dementia, and low GABA tone favours anxiety and convulsions. None of these describes the core deficit in depression.
Step 4: Cross-checking against mania, where noradrenaline is high, reinforces that depression sits at the opposite end with low serotonergic drive. Hence 5-HT is the answer.
$Depression \propto \dfrac{1}{[5\text{-}HT]}$ \[\boxed{\text{5-HT (serotonin)}}\]
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